Forest fires in Chile

At least 18 dead in massive forest fires in Chile

At least 18 people have died in the forest fires raging in Chile, reports the AP.

According to local authorities, hundreds of houses and thousands of hectares of forest have been destroyed by the fires. About 50,000 people in the Biobio region in central Chile have been forced to leave their homes.

President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of emergency in Biobio and the neighboring Ñuble region. During a press conference, he warned that the death toll will probably rise in the coming days.

Juan Lagos lives in the town of Penco, which has been largely destroyed by the fire.

– We fled, running with the children in the dark, he tells the AP.
 

20,000 evacuated after major forest fires in Chile

At least 20,000 people have been forced to evacuate in Chile as a result of extensive forest fires, reports the AFP.

A state of emergency has been declared in the regions of Ñuble and Biobío in the south of the country. In total, the fire service is battling 19 fires, twelve of which are in Ñuble and Biobío.

“Given the ongoing and serious fires, I have decided to declare a state of natural disaster for the regions of Ñuble and Biobío,” President Gabriel Boric wrote on X.