A total of 13 people have so far lost their lives in Chile from the fires that have burned more than 140,000 hectares of forest, according to the latest report released by the authorities.
Eleven people, including a firefighter, died in the city of Santa Juana in the Bio-Bio region, about 500 kilometers south of the capital Santiago.
The Ministry of Agriculture also announced the crash of a helicopter that killed the pilot and an engineer, in the region of Arakuania.
The government has declared a state of emergency in the regions of Bio-Bio and Niubléwhere army forces have been deployed to assist firefighters.
Hundreds of houses have been destroyed, while there are 39 fire fronts in progress in various parts of Chile, according to Interior Minister Karolina Toha. “Conditions over the next few days will be dangerous,” he warned.
Powerful forces of the fire brigade and the army, with the assistance of 63 aircraft, are fighting the flames, while help is expected from Brazil and Argentina.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric interrupted his summer vacation to visit the affected areas, home to nearly 2 million people. “As president I have to make sure that all reimgs are available for this emergency so that residents know they are not going to be alone.”, he emphasized. President Boric underlined that there are “indications” that some fires are due to arsonists.
Because of fires traffic on major highways has been disrupted, and many communities have been evacuated.
The meteorological service predicts that today in Niublé’s capital, Chizan, the temperature will exceed 38 degrees Celsius. Strong winds will also blow in the area, with the risk of worsening the situation.
Source: News Beast
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