Massive fire in the forests of central Chile, 46 dead so far, government imposes emergency

A terrible fire broke out in the forests of central Chile. So far, 46 people have been reported dead in this massive fire. This figure may also increase. Chilean President Gabriel Boric said that at least 46 people have died in the forest fire that broke out in central Chile. He warned that the death toll was likely to rise.

Black smoke billowed into the sky over the homes of one million people in central Chile and parts of the Valparaiso region. Firefighters using helicopters and trucks are struggling to extinguish the flames. Chilean officials said Saturday that areas around the coastal tourist town of Viña del Mar were hardest hit and rescue teams were struggling to reach all affected areas. President Boric, giving an update to the nation, said that 40 people were killed in the fire and another six died of burns in hospitals. Boric said that given the circumstances of the tragedy, the number of victims is certain to increase in the next few hours. Also said that the situation is indeed very difficult.

Chile's disaster agency Senapred said the death toll meant it was the deadliest wildfire outbreak in Chile in the past decade. Interior Minister Carolina Toha said earlier in the day that there were 92 active fires across the country. Due to this more than 43,000 hectares of area have been affected. Wildfires are not uncommon in Chile during the summer months and last year's record heat killed about 27 people and affected more than 400,000 hectares of land. Interior Minister Carolina Toha said the area of the fire is much smaller than last year, but the number of hectares affected is growing rapidly. The hectares affected by forest fires increased from 30,000 to 43,000 between Friday and Saturday. Toha said officials' biggest concern was that some active fires were developing very close to urban areas and had a high potential to affect people, homes and facilities.