Firefighters work in an area affected by a fire in the hills of the Quilpue Comune in Viña del Mar, Chile, on February 3, 2024.
- At least 19 people have been killed in a massive forest fire in Chile's Vina del Mar state.
- There are 92 fires in the area, damaging acres of land.
- Last year, 27 people died in wildfires that burned through 400,000 hectares of land in Chile.
At least 19 people have been killed in a forest fire in the coastal tourist city of Viña del Mar, and the death toll could rise in the coming hours as rescue teams reach more affected areas, Interior Minister Carolina Toja says. the minister said on Saturday.
Black smoke rose into the air in many parts of central Chile's Valparaíso region, home to about 1 million people, as firefighters battled the blaze using helicopters and trucks.
Interior Minister Toha said there were 92 fires across the country, affecting more than 43,000 hectares.
“The death toll reports are very preliminary,” Toha said.
Also read | 'Everyone breathed a sigh of relief': Parley Beach fire, which lasted six days, was brought under control by rain, but flare-ups continue
“There are reports from other locations that there may be more deaths, but there are no local confirmations.”
Wildfires are common in Chile during the summer, and last year's record heatwave killed around 27 people and damaged more than 400,000 hectares.
“Although the area on fire today is much smaller than last year, the number of hectares affected at the moment is increasing very rapidly,” Toha said.
From Friday to Saturday, the number of hectares affected by wildfires increased from 30,000 hectares to 43,000 hectares.
Toha said authorities' biggest concern is that some of the ongoing fires are occurring very close to urban areas and are “very likely to impact people, homes and facilities.” He said that.
