violent forest fires cause “around ten” deaths in the center of the country

Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency in order to “have all the necessary means” in the face of the progression of the fires.

In Chile, relief efforts are underway on Saturday, February 3, due to violent forest fires spreading across tourist regions of the country. “We have preliminary information indicating several people have died, around ten”announced Sofía Gonzáles Cortés, the state representative in the Valparaiso region.

The fires have plunged the famous seaside resort of Vina del Mar into a cloud of smoke and are threatening hundreds of homes, prompting forced evacuations. Firefighters have been fighting tirelessly since Friday against around ten homes in the regions of Valparaíso and O’Higgins in the center, but also Maule, Biobío, La Araucanía and Los Lagos in the south.

An “extreme evolution” of the fire

Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency in order to “have all the necessary means” faced with the progression of fires. “All forces are deployed in the fight against forest fires”assured the Head of State in a message posted on the social network

In the Valparaiso region alone, the fire devoured more than 7,000 hectares, according to the Chilean National Forestry Office, pointing to the“extreme evolution” of the fire. Images that have gone viral on social networks, shot by trapped motorists, show the mountains engulfed in flames at the end of the famous “route 68”a road used by thousands of tourists to get to the Pacific beaches.