Chile engulfed by fires many deaths reported
2023.02.04 03:59
Chile engulfed by fires many deaths reported
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – Authorities in Chile reported on Friday that dozens of raging wildfires had destroyed approximately 14,000 hectares (35,000 acres) and killed at least thirteen people as a summer heatwave was sweeping across the country.
Local authorities reported that eleven people, including a firefighter, had died in the town of Santa Juana in Biobio, a region approximately 500 kilometers (310 miles) south of Santiago.
The Minister of Agriculture also reported that the pilot and a mechanic were killed when an emergency-support helicopter crashed in the southern region of La Araucania.
In the farming and forest areas of Biobio and Nuble, which are adjacent, states of catastrophe have been declared, necessitating the deployment of additional resources and soldiers.
According to Interior Minister Carolina Toha, 39 fires are burning across the nation, causing damage to hundreds of homes.
Toha stated to journalists, “The conditions in the coming days are going to be risky.”
She stated that the firefight was being bolstered by ground equipment and a fleet of 63 available planes, with assistance anticipated from Brazil and Argentina.
Friday, President Gabriel Boric skipped his summer break and went to Nuble and Biobio, two towns with populations of nearly 2 million each.
Boric stated from Biobio, “My role as president today is to ensure that all resources will be available for the emergency and so that people feel they are not going to be alone.”
Additionally, he mentioned “signs” suggesting that some fires may have been deliberately started.
According to the disaster agency in Chile, Senapred, some families sought refuge in shelters. Highway traffic was disrupted by fires, and numerous settlements had to be evacuated.
Friday’s weather was predicted to be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in Chillan, Nuble’s capital, with strong winds that could worsen fire conditions.
