Feb 4, 2024 at 10:37 PM Update: 2 hours ago
The forest fires in the coastal towns of Valparaíso and Viña del Mar in Chile are suspected to have been ignited. According to the fire brigade, the fires were started with “complete intent”. The death toll has now risen to 99 and entire neighborhoods have been burned down.
The death toll is expected to continue to rise, Chilean President Gabriel Boric said in a televised address on Sunday. According to the mayor of Viña del Mar, Macarena Ripamonti, more than 370 people are currently missing.
The national organization SML, responsible for managing the bodies of the victims, continues to report new death tolls. The latest update also reports that 32 of the dead have not yet been identified.
According to fire chief Juan Paredes Brante, the fires were started “with total intent”. “This is a reality that we unfortunately have to move on with. We also have to consider why there are fires in places where there is no reason for a fire to start or for a fire to be ignited.”
The fire chief also said some firefighters have witnessed arsons while fighting fires. The fires suddenly broke out on Friday in several places in a nature park southeast of the two tourist coastal towns that are close to each other.
Chilean authorities have warned thousands of residents in the area to leave their homes before it is too late.
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Chilean families flee coastal town due to forest fires
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ChiliBuitenland
2024-02-04 21:37:00
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