2024-02-03 18:41:41
For several hours Chile is suffering the catastrophic effects of several fires in different regions of the center and south of the country. So far 19 deaths have been confirmed, but due to the proportions of the outbreaks the number might increase in a few hours. President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency due to catastrophe.
Some Affected areas are of tourist relevance, Viña del Mar in Valparaíso for example, where the first reports of deaths came from.
The National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), The largest forest fire is in the Peñuelas Lake Reservenext to the main highway to the area, which has burned more than 7,000 hectares.
The other largest fire source occurs in The Aguadacommune of La Estrella, O’Higgins Region, in the center of the country, which destroyed some 4,084 hectares.
Chile is a country that historically suffers the consequences of fire, however it was highlighted that the heat wave with oppressive temperatures in the South American Conedriven by the natural climate phenomenon of El Niño, exacerbated the conditions for fires to emerge.
Firefighters and emergency services personnel fight once morest other outbreaks in the center of the country in the regions of Maule, Biobío, La Araucanía and Los Lagos.
“I have never seen anything like it, this is very distressing because we evacuate the house but we cannot move forward, everyone (the people) is trying to get out and it is impossible to move,” Yvonne Guzmán, a 63-year-old administrator, told AFP that she left her home in Quilpué, a commune located regarding 90 km northwest of Santiago.
1706985716
#dead #thousands #hectares #devastated
