Country has recorded a series of forest fires since the 5th; emergency was declared in the regions of Valparaíso and Marga Marga
The number of deaths due to the forest fires that have hit Chile since Thursday (Feb 1, 2024) reached 99 this Sunday (Feb 4), according to the country's Medical Legal Service. The information was released in the organ profile on X.
On the night of Friday (2.Feb), President Gabriel Boric declared emergency in the provinces of Valparaíso and Marga Marga, the most affected. On Saturday (Feb 3), Chile's Interior Minister, Carolina Tohá, met with members of Senapred (acronym in Spanish for “National Disaster Prevention and Response Service”) to discuss measures to combat the fires.
The expectation is that the number of victims will increase as emergency services are able to access the affected areas.
“After the 2010 earthquake, the forest fires in Valparaíso are the emergency situation that has caused the most victims in Chile in recent times.”, said Carolina Tohá, in an interview with journalists.
According to the minister, a large part of the burned region, in the center of the country, is not accessible. “Consequently, we do not have a complete survey of victims or damaged homes and infrastructure.”, explained Tohá, stating that the number of deaths is expected to increase.
See images of the fire in Chile shared on social media (2min46s):
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