(Quilpué) At least 64 people have been killed in the fires ravaging the Valparaiso region in central Chile, President Gabriel Boric announced on Sunday, specifying that this new toll would further “increase significantly”.
“I can unfortunately confirm that there are 64 deaths. This figure will increase, we know that it will increase significantly,” Mr. Boric said from Quilpué, located on the outskirts of Viña del Mar.
In Quilpué, about 90 kilometers northwest of Santiago, an AFP team was able to see entire neighborhoods and cars charred. There, thousands of residents were stranded for several hours on Friday as they tried to flee by car.
“This is the biggest tragedy we have experienced since the 2010 earthquake,” said Mr. Boric, referring to the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that was followed by a tsunami on February 27, 2010 and which left more than 500 dead.