Forest fires ripping through central Chile’s coastal hills since Friday have killed at least 40 people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes, with many more feared dead, according to the national government.
The wildfires are encroaching on Viña del Mar and Valparaíso, two cities that form a sprawling region that is home to more than one million people on Chile’s central coastline, about 75 miles northeast of the capital, Santiago.
Just after midday, President Gabriel Boric flew over the area in a helicopter, and said his government had worked to “secure the greatest resources” in Chile’s history to fight the blazes during the country’s wildfire season, which typically hits during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer and reaches a peak in February.
“I assure you all that we will be there as a government to help you recover,” he wrote on the social media platform X.
Later, he said the confirmed death toll had risen to 40 people, and warned, “the number of victims is sure to increase.
Persons:
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Organizations:
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Locations:
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