At least 112 people have died in forest fires that have ravaged the Valparaiso region in central Chile, according to the latest death toll, local authorities said.
It is feared that the number of victims could be higher, while firefighters continued to extinguish 40 active fires this morning. About 1,400 firefighters and 1,300 soldiers and volunteers were engaged for the fourth day in a row in extinguishing forest fires that engulfed the central and southern part of Chile.
President Gabriel Bori, who visited the affected areas on Sunday, said that it was one of the biggest tragedies since 2010, when the country was hit by an earthquake that killed more than 500 people.
Between 3,000 and 6,000 houses were damaged or destroyed in the fires. About 43,000 hectares of forests were destroyed. The fire also affected the popular resort of Viña del Mar, where it is the peak of the summer season and where extremely high temperatures were recorded.
Photo ©️ EPA-EFE/Adriana Thomasa
