© REUTERS
The confirmed death toll from Chile’s forest fires has risen to 122, according to SML, the organization responsible for recovering the bodies. 32 bodies have been identified. Thousands of people are homeless.
Source: BELGA
Monday February 5, 2024 at 6:55 PM
The fires have destroyed entire parts of the coastal towns of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar. About forty of these are still in progress. Supported by thirty fire-fighting helicopters and aircraft, about 1,400 firefighters, 1,300 soldiers and volunteers are fighting the flames.
President Gabriel Boric described the fires as “the greatest tragedy” to hit the country since the 2010 earthquake followed by a tsunami that killed more than 500 people, and said “all of Chile mourns Valparaiso” and called for two days of national mourning.
According to the Chilean fire brigade in the Valparaíso region, the forest fires that started on Friday have been ignited. Firefighters are said to have seen fires being set while they were extinguishing them.
Pope Francis on Sunday called for prayers for the victims of the fires in Chile, which are among the deadliest worldwide of the 21st century. The European Union has expressed its solidarity and readiness to provide assistance against the devastation caused by the fires.
Since Wednesday, temperatures in central Chile and the capital Santiago have been approaching 40 degrees.
That heat wave due to the El Niño climate phenomenon is currently hitting southern Latin America, at the height of the summer season, causing forest fires that are exacerbated by global warming. After Chile and Colombia, the heat wave will threaten Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil in the coming days.
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