Many people are lost and many homes are being burned by wildfires in Chile’s Valparaíso region.
More than 120 people died in the fires, and thousands of homes were destroyed.
President Gabriel Boric said the fire was the worst disaster in the country since the earthquake in February 2010, where more than 500 people died.
The fires made a lot of smoke that could be seen from space in pictures taken by satellites.
Last week, there were fires in Viña del Mar and Valparaíso because it was very hot. Normally, these towns are cooled by the sea.
Both cities and the town of Quilpué to the east are covered in smelly smoke from the forest fires in the nearby hills.
The strong winds made the fires grow bigger and people said that their neighborhoods were quickly covered in flames. The drone video showed how much damage there was.
A lot of people couldn’t escape fast enough and got caught by the fire. Authorities said that 123 people have died, but only 33 have been recognized so far.
The government’s main goal is to save lives and put out the fire. At the same time, volunteers are giving food and clothes to people who don’t have a place to live anymore.
The authorities say that almost 15,000 houses have been broken. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed and pictures showed the smashed and burned cars scattered on the streets.
President Boric said things are very bad right now and he’s making a rule that everyone has to stay home at night.
The police and experts are checking to see if the fires were started on purpose.
Tag: Chile
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Deadly wildfires rage in Chile, leaving hundreds missing
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Over 120 people dead in Chile as result of wildfires
Deadly fires in Chile have burned many areas and killed over 120 people. The authorities say more people could die.
At least 122 people have died already, according to the city of Valparaiso’s Legal Medical Services on Monday. Authorities also said that they have identified 32 bodies, performed 40 autopsies, and are ready to give 10 bodies to their families.
Images and videos from the news agency showed the widespread damage caused by the fires in many communities over the weekend. From above, pictures from El Olivar showed many cars burned and destroyed, and many houses turned to ash. A video from CNN showed the inside of a bus driving through ValparaÃso while fires burned outside.
The Chilean National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (SENAPRED) said there are 161 fires burning in the country right now.
The SENAPRED Director, Álvaro Hormazábal, told the media that firefighters have stopped 102 fires, but are still fighting 40 others. Nineteen fires are being watched right now, said Hormazábal.
President Gabriel Boric said there is a big problem in coastal cities like Viña del Mar and Valparaiso, so he declared a state of emergency. The cities were filled with smoke. People living in the middle of the city had to leave their homes too. Boric spoke at a press conference after visiting the areas that were affected. He is worried that the number of people who died will go up a lot.
On TV, Boric said that the defense ministry will send more soldiers to places that need help, and they will have everything they need.
He said Monday and Tuesday will be national days of sadness for the people who died in the fire.
The problem of climate change, caused by humans, is making heat waves and droughts, which make wildfires happen more often and with more strength. The world is having the El Niño phenomenon right now, which is making temperatures even hotter.
Fires are getting worse everywhere, showing how the climate crisis is changing and causing a lot of damage. And experts say that it will only get more bad. The UN Environment Programme said in a report in 2022 that uncontrolled and very damaging wildfires are now a common part of the seasons in many parts of the world.
The UN report says that the amount of very serious wildfires will go up by 14% by 2030. In 2050, the increase will go up by 30%.
In Chile, there are fires happening while the country is dealing with very hot weather in the summer. The city of Santiago has been experiencing very hot and dry weather with temperatures above 33 degrees Celsius (91. 4°F) for several days in a row.
Colombia had big fires, and they asked for help from other countries to fight the fires. They said it was a disaster.
Emergency teams in Chile are focusing on putting out the fires in the port city of Valparaíso first because it is close to where people live. Local leaders said that 372 people in the area are missing.
Valparaiso is a famous place for tourists. It is in Chile, about 70 miles away from the capital city, Santiago. People like to visit because of its pretty houses, hilly landscapes, and its old town with a lot of history.
Valeria Melipillán, who is the leader of Quilpué city in central Chile, said to CNN Chile that the wildfires are the biggest ever in the region. About 1,400 homes in the town have been harmed, said Melipillán.
Chile’s Finance Minister Mario Marcel said on Sunday that early estimates show that the damages in the Valparaíso region will be very expensive, possibly costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Some people in the affected areas did not leave their homes even though they were told to do so. Evacuation efforts were good, but some people didn’t want to go. That’s what local search and rescue officials said.
Rodrigo Mundaca, the leader of Valparaiso, said there are curfews in place in Viña del Mar, Quilpué, Villa Alemana, and Limache so that the authorities can focus on stopping the fires.
Pope Francis, who is from Argentina, asked people to pray for the people who died or got hurt in the big fires in central Chile.
CNN Chile reported that they have arrested at least one person in connection to the wildfires.
The police said a man in Talca, Chile was welding at home when a fire started and spread to the grasslands.
The person accused of a crime will go to court on Sunday in Talca, as reported by the Maule Prosecutor’s Office.
A man’s mother died and he told CNN in Spanish that he can’t find his 14-year-old sister and is looking for her.
“I think she may be confused,” said Ariel Orellana. “I strongly believe that she will come and stop this nightmare. ”
Orellana said his sister, Anastasia, was last seen running away from the wildfire in the Pompeya community in Viña del Mar, which is in central Chile.
The girl was living with her mom and her mom’s partner who also died in the fires, Orellana said.
On Saturday, Orellana couldn’t talk to his mom, so he went to Pompeya and found the couple’s dead bodies near their car.
“They couldn’t get away,” Orellana said. “They had a van, they tried to escape in it, and the van was surrounded by the fire. ”
Orellana is still looking for his sister in the places that have been destroyed by the fires. He is also using social media to ask people for help in finding her.
I only found two bodies, not three. I only found two bodies, not three. He said, “I’m still searching for my sister. “ -
Over 100 people killed in Chile’s fire
Deadly fires are burning in parts of Chile and have killed over 100 people, according to officials on Sunday. They said the number of people who died will likely go up.
The Chilean emergency service said that at least 112 people have died. Authorities also confirmed that they have identified 32 bodies, performed 38 autopsies, and are prepared to deliver 10 bodies to their families.
Over the weekend, pictures and videos from the news agency showed the widespread damage caused by the fires in many different towns. A camera in the sky took pictures of lots of burnt cars and many houses completely destroyed by fire in El Olivar. A video from CNN showed the inside of a bus driving through ValparaÃÂso while fires were burning outside.
Right now, there are 161 fires burning in different parts of the country, according to the Chilean National Disaster Prevention and Response Service.
SENAPRED Director ÃÂlvaro Hormazábal said to media that firefighters have put out 102 fires but are still fighting 40 others. Nineteen fires are being watched right now, according to Hormazábal.
President Gabriel Boric said there’s a very big problem in coastal cities like Viña del Mar and Valparaiso and declared a state of emergency. These cities were filled with smoke. People in the middle of the city had to leave their homes. Boric talked to reporters after visiting the damaged areas and said he is worried that more people will die.
Boric said on TV that the defense department will send more soldiers to the places that need help, and they will have everything they need.
He announced that Monday and Tuesday will be national mourning days for the victims of the fire.
Scientists say that climate change and the El Nino weather pattern are causing the Earth to become warmer. This makes heatwaves and wildfires more likely to happen.
Fires are getting worse all over the world, showing us how the climate crisis is causing a lot of damage and affecting many people’s lives. It costs billions of dollars each year. And experts say that it will only get more serious. The UN Environment Programme said in a report published in 2022 that uncontrollable and devastating wildfires are now expected at certain times of the year in many places around the world.
According to a UN report, the amount of very bad wildfires will go up by 14% by 2030. By 2050, the rise will go up to 30%.
In Chile, fires are happening while the country is experiencing very hot weather in summer. The city of Santiago has been very hot for several days with temperatures rising above 33 degrees Celsius (91. 4°F)
Colombia had big fires and asked other countries for help.
Emergency teams in Chile are focusing on stopping the fires in the city of Valparaíso because it is close to residential areas. The local authorities said that 372 people from the area were said to be missing.
Valparaiso is a popular place for tourists in Chile. It is about 70 miles northwest of the capital city, Santiago. Valparaiso is famous for its colorful houses, beautiful hills, and old town.
Valeria Melipillán, who is in charge of Quilpué city in central Chile, said to media that the wildfires are “probably the biggest ever” in the region. Almost 1,400 homes in the town have been broken, the mayor of Melipillán said.
“Video shows how wildfires in Chile have caused a lot of damage. ”
Chile’s Finance Minister Mario Marcel said that the initial calculations show that the damages in the Valparaíso region will likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Some people in the affected areas did not want to leave their homes, even though the evacuation was done well, according to local search and rescue officials.
Rodrigo Mundaca, who is in charge of Valparaiso, announced that curfews are in effect in Viña del Mar, Quilpué, Villa Alemana and Limache. This is so that the authorities can concentrate on fighting the fires.
Pope Francis, from Argentina, asked people to pray for the people who died or got hurt in the big fires in central Chile.
According to report, authorities have arrested at least one person in connection to the wildfires.
The man was doing welding work at his home in Talca, Chile when a fire started and spread to nearby grasslands, according to the police.
The person accused of a crime will go to court on Sunday in Talca, as announced by the Maule Prosecutor’s Office. -
Deadliest forest fires in Chile claim at least 51 lives
Chile’s Valparaíso region is grappling with a devastating forest fire that has claimed the lives of at least 51 people, marking it as the country’s deadliest forest fire on record.
President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of emergency, pledging to allocate all necessary resources to address the crisis. Many of the victims were visitors to the coastal region enjoying the summer holidays.
In response to the dire situation, a health alert has been issued in Valparaíso by the health ministry, prompting the suspension of elective surgeries and the authorization of temporary field hospitals.
The ministry also announced plans to hire medicine students near the end of their studies to assist in alleviating pressures on the healthcare system.
Rescue services have encountered challenges in reaching the most severely affected areas, and Interior Minister Carolina Tohá anticipates that the death toll will rise significantly in the coming hours. The government has issued an advisory urging people to refrain from traveling to the fire-impacted areas.
Reports indicate that between 3,000 and 6,000 houses have been impacted by the fires, with a curfew implemented in Viña del Mar, Limache, Quilpué, and Villa Alemana on Saturday. President Boric explained that the curfew aims to facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles to reach affected areas.
Addressing the crisis, 1,400 firefighters are being deployed, supported by military personnel alongside emergency services. The cause of the fires is under investigation, and measures, including a ban on handling fire and heat-producing machines, have been implemented to prevent further escalation.
Valparaíso, situated 116 km from the capital Santiago, is a popular coastal town that attracts many tourists during the summer. The regional committee for disaster risk management reported that 45 of the victims were found dead at the scene, while six others succumbed to burn wounds in healthcare centers. The tragic incident follows deadly wildfires in the Biobío and Ñuble regions last year, indicating a concerning trend of increasing frequency and lethality.
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Chile celebrates military coup despite ongoing conflicts
Fifty years ago today, the presidential palace of Chile, called La Moneda, was bombed. This was done during a military coup to remove the country’s president, Salvador Allende, who was elected by the people and believed in socialist ideas.
On September 11, 1973, President Allende died and a group of military leaders took control.
After General Augusto Pinochet took control for 17 years, about 40,000 people were captured, tortured, or made to vanish. More than 3,200 people were put to death.
The time when a dictator ruled Chile still affects and separates the people.
“These walls have seen terrible things and a cruel and controlling history that we remember and will always remember,” President Gabriel Boric said from the balcony of La Moneda in March 2022 after he became the youngest president of Chile at only 36 years old.
The young and forward-thinking group in his cabinet made a commitment to deal with and resolve the human rights abuses that occurred during Gen Pinochet’s rule.
Before today’s anniversary, his government that supports left-wing ideas started a program called the National Search Plan. This program is the first of its kind, supported by the government, and its purpose is to find out what happened to 1,469 people who went missing during military rule many years ago and are still missing to this day.
It is believed that the state killed them, but their bodies were never discovered.
The government spokesperson, Camila Vallejo, who leads the Ministry General Secretariat in Chile, explains that the plan aims to support the families of missing people. The goal is to relieve them from the burden of searching for their loved ones or finding the truth on their own.
The project will have a specific amount of money set aside for it and a team of people who will investigate it. Family members of missing persons may be eligible to receive compensation.
The National Search Plan aims to do two things: first, to find the people who were forcibly taken away, and second, to understand how and why they disappeared, so that the families who have been desperate for answers can finally get justice.
Despite democracy being brought back in 1990, the influence and presence of Gen Pinochet still affect Chile.
Pinochet was in charge of the army until 1998. Afterwards, he became a senator-for-life, a position he made for himself in the constitution he forced upon the people in 1980. As a senator, he couldn’t be charged with a crime in Chile.
However, in 1998, when he went to London, he was confined to his house by the authorities because Spanish lawyers were attempting to send him back to Spain to be tried for torture.
In 2000, Jack Straw, the person who was in charge of the home affairs in Britain, allowed General Pinochet to go back to Chile because of his health.The boss passed away in 2006 at the age of 91 without ever going to jail.
Chile’s current government, many of whom started their political careers by rallying against Gen Pinochet’s conservative neoliberal regime, promises to hold accountable those responsible for committing crimes during military rule.
The highest court in Chile informed the BBC that the country’s legal system is currently examining over 2,000 situations where the rights of individuals were violated by government officials during the time of military rule.
However, a lot of people who have been hurt and their families are saying that things have been moving too slowly and not getting results.
Many ex-army officers have passed away in their later years without ever being taken to court. Some people were sent to nice prisons that had their own rooms, tennis courts, and BBQ areas.
The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, talks to Alicia Lira, the President of the Association of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared of Chile, during a march to remember the 50th anniversary of the military takeover by General Augusto Pinochet against President Salvador Allende. This happened in Santiago, Chile, on September 10, 2023.
President Gabriel Boric walked with family members of the missing people in a special march on the day before the anniversary.
Minister Vallejo agrees that the progress made so far happened because of the efforts of human rights groups and the families of victims, not the government.
She says she knows why victims’ families don’t trust Chile’s institutions because some of them have not done a good job with investigations.
Earlier this year, it was discovered that 89 boxes with evidence from the time when the dictatorship was in power were left in a university basement for 20 years. The boxes were neglected and exposed to mold and dampness, which caused damage to them.
Camila Vallejo said to the BBC that the police, a team of scientists who study evidence, and courts would all help with the National Search Plan.
She said that it would become a “long-term rule” so that it would keep going even if the government changed.
Camila Vallejo says that families who have been affected by wrongdoing have been leading the way in seeking justice.
She also said that the families of the missing people will not only be there during the process but also keep an eye on it.
Before the anniversary, President Boric met with all the former presidents of Chile who are still alive. They came together to sign an official statement that expressed their disapproval of Gen Pinochet’s dictatorship.
Some people, including Sebastian Piñera, who used to be a conservative leader, signed the agreement. Sebastian Piñera didn’t agree with the UK arresting Augusto Pinochet, and his brother used to work for Pinochet as a minister.
However, even though Mr. Piñera has supported it, some people in Chile’s right-wing political spectrum have criticized the document because they still support the deceased dictator.
Members of Mr. Piñera’s political party, National Renewal, are upset and unhappy with the former president’s endorsement of the declaration.
Senator Manuel José Ossandón said on a local radio station that the Boric administration is making the division in the country worse.
The senator said that if Allende hadn’t been in power, Pinochet wouldn’t have taken over. The senator thinks that Allende’s socialist policies caused his own downfall and the military dictatorship that came after.
Minister Vallejo stated that comments like these were not acceptable. He also mentioned that it was not fair to treat the victim and the person who caused harm equally.
Camila Vallejo has criticized statements that say Allende and Pinochet are the same.
“She argued that it is a fundamental aspect of democracy to have diverse opinions about Allende. ” “But we can’t blame Allende for the coup, it was actually Augusto Pinochet who was responsible for it. ”
According to her, the declaration is a very important event that shows Chileans and the world that we should always protect democracy and human rights, no matter what differences we may have. -
American who was kidnapped in infancy meets mother in Chile at 42 years old
Jimmy Lippert Thyden claims that from the beginning, he felt a sense of being selected to join his family rather than being naturally born into it.He also knew that he was not born in the United States, but in Chile. He grew up in Virginia with adoptive parents who loved him very much and were dedicated to him. He says he always had everything he needed. The person, who is 42 years old, used to be in the US Marines. Presently, he has taken on the role of a lawyer, entered into matrimony, and are raising two young daughters.
Thyden said that he was told that he was given up for adoption because his birth parents loved him. “My mom, who loved me and wanted the best for me, gave me a life that had lots of chances, learning, and purpose. ”
It all began to change in 2012 when his adopted mom handed him his adoption papers before he left for Afghanistan. Thyden discovered many differences and mistakes in the adoption records when he examined them carefully.
Thyden told CNN that there were different versions of a story told by three or four people, and these versions were so different that not all of them could be true.
There was a paper that said he didn’t have a known mom or dad. Another person gave the name of a woman who is the mother, and also told where she lives. Another paper said that the baby does not have any family members who are alive, and a different paper said that he was given away to another family shortly after he was born. Another paper stated that he was abandoned and put up for adoption when he was two years old.
For a long time, Thyden was curious about where he came from. He wanted to learn more but didn’t know how to start or who to ask for help in Chile.
Thyden says he only started looking into the truth about his adoption a few months ago, after his wife told him about Scott Lieberman’s case.
CNN said in May that Lieberman, a 42-year-old American from San Francisco, was adopted from Chile and recently discovered that he was taken as a baby without his consent. This is how Thyden found out about a Chilean organization called “Nos Buscamos” (We Search for Each Other). They help people who were taken as babies to find their biological parents and families.
During the time when General Augusto Pinochet was in charge, from 1973 to 1990, a lot of babies were sent to adoption agencies. Some of the kids came from rich families, who often gave away babies born to unmarried parents. Some babies who were born into less wealthy families were taken away without permission.
During the past ten years, CNN has recorded several instances where babies from Chile were taken away shortly after being born. Officials in the country say that religious leaders, medical professionals, and others worked together to do illegal adoptions in order to make money.Chilean authorities think there might be thousands of babies that were taken by force, but the investigation into these adoptions has not made much progress. Some people involved in the illegal adoptions have passed away. Many clinics or hospitals where the babies were said to be taken from are no longer there.
After contacting “Nos Buscamos,” Thyden received an email the following day from the director, Constanza del Río, instructing him to call her immediately. She recommended getting a DNA test, and he did it on April 17th. Thyden found a match through MyHeritage, an online company that helps with family history, in a short time. When del Río found the match, she knew she had to call María Angélica González. For a long time, González thought her son had died not long after he was born.
She was unable to accept it. She believed it was a bad joke because someone had told her that her baby boy had died earlier than expected,” del Río explained. Del Río explains that González was informed that the baby’s body was thrown away in the garbage. During the time when Pinochet was in power and many people were killed or went missing, it was risky to ask too many questions or protest loudly. Chile will remember the 50th anniversary of the takeover that made Pinochet the ruler on September 11.
Thyden has had mixed feelings upon discovering the truth. He is glad to finally find out where he really comes from, but he feels sad about the difficult experiences his birth mother had.
“She didn’t know about me because I was taken away from her as soon as I was born. She was told that I had died, and when she wanted to see my body, she was told that it had been thrown away. ” We have never touched or embraced each other,” Thyden said.
After waiting for a long time, he finally went to Chile to hug his real mother, whom he hadn’t seen for 42 years. When they saw each other in the southern city of Valdivia in the middle of August, he finally managed to say the words he had been practicing for weeks. “Hello, mom,” he said when they finally hugged.
I am 42 years old and I am going to meet her, hug her, and hold her for the first time ever. “That doesn’t seem natural. ” Thyden said later, thinking back on that moment. It made me confront and come to terms with the mistakes that were made. And then, if you get to know her, you will surely love her. She is a kind, compassionate, affectionate woman who believes in faith. It’s hard to believe that someone would hurt her, especially when she is such a small, loving, and innocent person.
When he arrived in Valdivia, he met his whole family and they planned a special birthday party for him ahead of time. There were 42 balloons representing the 42 years that he couldn’t have a birthday party with his real family. As each person appeared, the family that he didn’t know he had called out the numbers: one, two, three.
Thyden later explained that they felt like they were a missing puzzle piece that had been lost for 42 years. When they finally found their place, it felt completely normal, as if no time had passed at all.
According to Thyden, finding out the truth has been difficult because his adoptive parents were also deceived and hurt. He says his adoptive parents spoke to a adoption agency in Virginia and requested to legally adopt a child through a good agency. They even wrote this request down.
They did not think at all that they were buying a child. “He said they would never have done that. ”
When asked what could have happened, Thyden says we cannot know for sure.
I had a moment in my life where I had to choose between going left or right at a T intersection. Instead of turning right, it turned left. Instead of driving or sitting in the car and knowing what was happening, I was the baby inside the trunk,” Thyden explained.
I acknowledge and appreciate that I am fortunate to have loving families from different parts of the world. But I didn’t know that I wouldn’t have become a lawyer. I may have served in the military, but I’m not sure. Did I do those things because of where I was or because they are a part of who I am. Thyden explained that he uses the words “mom” or “mother” for his American adoptive mother and “mamá” for his biological mother from Chile.
Finally, he reveals that his five-year-old daughter provided him with the understanding of what happened to him. She told him that if something bad hadn’t occurred, she wouldn’t exist. She told her father that he has not just one, but two families who love him very much. -
Two people are killed in Chile’s thwarted $32.5 million airport robbery
Following the report by officials, two people were killed in a multimillion dollar theft that was thwarted at Chile’s busiest airport.
The Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Santiago is the scene of a gunfight between robbers and representatives of Chile’s DGAC aviation agency, according to video that has been extensively posted on social media.
The “attack” claimed the lives of a DGAC airport security guard and one of the robbers, according to chief prosecutor Eduardo Baeza on Wednesday.
That occurred around 7:30 a.m. local time (5:50 a.m. ET).The investigation into the attempted robbery is ongoing, said Baeza.
Officials said around 10 people broke into the airport in three or four trucks, targeting an armored vehicle carrying a “valued load” from a LATAM Airlines plane.
The plane, which had arrived from Miami, was carrying $32.5 million to be transported locally by security provider Brinks.
Speaking to reporters from the La Moneda presidential palace in Santiago, deputy interior minister Manuel Monsalve said security officials had “foiled a robbery by a highly organized, highly armed and probably very well-planned robbery.”
Raul Jorquera, general director of the DGAC, told reporters that no passengers were at risk during the encounter, and that the robbers had “high capacity firepower” to steal the money.
Organized crime in Chile has spiked in recent years, including elaborate train heists and multimillion-dollar robberies at the country’s main seaport.
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Wildfires in Chile could worsen due to a heatwave, authorities warn
A country in South America is battling to put out dozens of burning fires that have already claimed the lives of at least 26 people.
Authorities have warned that a heatwave is endangering more wildfires in Chile’s south-central region, where more than two dozen people have already perished as a result of the destructive blazes.
The deputy interior minister, Manuel Monsalve, stated on Tuesday that high temperatures are predicted to last until Friday and may exceed 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) in the central Maule and Nuble regions.
“A very complex climate situation can arise,” said Monsalve, urging teams to be “prepared for any eventuality”.
Fires have ravaged more than 290,000 hectares (716,606 acres) across the South American nation so far, killing at least 26 people and destroying more than 1,000 houses, leaving thousands homeless.
Approximately 5,600 firefighters, mostly volunteers, are actively battling 81 priority blazes countrywide out of 301 still burning, the AFP news agency reported, citing Chilean authorities.
Air quality in the affected areas also has deteriorated significantly because of the smoke from the fires, said health minister Ximena Aguilera.
Nearly 2,000 people have been injured in a week of blazes in the regions of Biobio, La Araucania and Nuble, where a state of emergency has been in place.
Monsalve, the deputy interior minister, said on Tuesday that fire brigades from Colombia and Mexico were arriving to help.
He added that 15 people had been arrested for possible links to starting the fires over activities including welding and burning animal wool.Meanwhile, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Twitter that his country was sending a firefighting brigade and cargo plane with two Bambi Buckets – used to help extinguish blazes from the air – to Chile.
Spain, Mexico and other countries in Latin America also have said they would send firefighters and experts to help combat the fires.
One of the local volunteers, Macarena Fernandez, a 31-year-old physical education teacher, described the situation in Chile’s Santa Juana region late last week as “intense”.
“We did what we humanly could, what was within our means,” she told AFP.
“The most difficult is to see the situation of people left without homes, without their family, without their animals and completely destitute.”
But a week into the emergency, the government said some employers were calling on volunteers to return to their normal jobs.
“The more days [of fire], the more we need the volunteers, the more tired they are and the more in need of help,” said interior minister Carolina Toha.
Earlier this week, Chile’s President Gabriel Boric called for unity and resolve in response to the destruction left by the fires.
“Unity to face the tragedy, unity to rebuild ourselves. That has been and will always be the path in the face of adversity in our Chile,” he wrote on Twitter on Monday.
Officials in Chile have previously suggested that climate change was to blame for the rising temperatures and subsequent fires.
Scientists have been warning that the climate crisis – fuelled by human activity, namely the emission of greenhouse gases – will lead to increased risks of natural disasters, including wildfires, droughts and hurricanes.
“The evolution of climate change shows us again and again that this has a centrality and a capacity to cause an impact that we have to internalise much more,” Toha, the interior minister, said earlier this month.
“Chile is one of the countries with the highest vulnerability to climate change and this isn’t theory but rather practical experience.”
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Chile extends it’s emergency following deaths rise from wildfires
Numerous wildfires ravaged Chilean forests, killing at least 23 people.
As firefighters battled to contain dozens of wildfires that have already claimed the lives of at least 23 people, Chile declared an emergency in yet another area.
The most recent emergency declaration, which was issued on Saturday, covers the southern region of Araucania, which is situated close to the country’s lengthy Pacific coastline along with the previously declared Biobio and Nuble regions.
The measure enables the government to call in the armed forces to assist in putting out the fires.
“Weather conditions have made it very difficult to put out [the fires] that are spreading and the emergency is getting worse,” Interior Minister Carolina Toha told reporters at a news conference in the Chilean capital, Santiago.
“We need to reverse that curve,” she added.
At least 23 people have died in connection to the fires, while 979 have been reported injured. More than 1,100 have sought refuge in shelters.
Some 11 of the victims, or nearly half of those reported killed so far, died in the town of Santa Juana in Biobio, located some 500km (310 miles) south of Santiago.
The deaths also included a Bolivian pilot who died when a helicopter that was helping combat the flames crashed in Araucania. A Chilean mechanic also died in the crash.
Brigade members of the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) fight a fire in Nacimiento, Concepcion province, Chile, on February 4, 2023 [Javier Torres/ AFP] Some 232 wildfires were still active on Saturday, according to authorities, including 16 that sparked to life earlier in the day, as local temperatures in the southern hemisphere summer exceeded 40C (104F).
Chile’s disaster mitigation agency said 151 of the fires were now under control, while official data released late Friday showed that some 40,000 hectares (99,000 acres) have been burned by the fires.
The three affected regions are sparsely populated and home to many farms, including where grapes, apples and berries are grown for export, plus extensive tracts of forest land.
“I left with what I had on,” said Carolina Torres, who fled from an approaching fire near the city of Puren in the region of Araucania.
“I think everyone here did the same thing because the winds shifted and you just had to grab everything right away.”
Officials said the governments of Spain, the United States, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil and Venezuela have offered help, including planes and firefighters.
Toha, the interior minister, suggested the fires should serve as yet another wake-up call about the effects of climate change.
“We are becoming one of the [nations] most vulnerable to fires, fundamentally due to the evolution of climate change,” she said.
“The thermometer has reached points that we have never known until now,” she added.
On Friday, President Gabriel Boric cut short his summer vacation and travelled to Nuble and Biobio, pledging to make sure the affected areas receive all necessary support.
Boric also pointed to “signs” that some fires may have been started intentionally but did not provide any additional details.
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Easter Island: Sacred statues suffer fire damage
The mysterious statues on Easter Island have suffered fire damage, some of which is considered to be irreversible.
According to Chile’s undersecretary of culture, a number of the stone-carved statues were damaged by the fire.
Easter Island has nearly 1,000 of megaliths, known as moai. They have oversized heads and generally stand about 4m (13ft) high.
They were carved by a Polynesian tribe more than 500 years ago.
The fire, which broke out on Monday, affected “nearly 60 hectares (148 acres)”, Carolina Perez Dattari, the cultural heritage official, tweeted.
It is reported to have been started deliberately and is centered around Easter Island’s Rano Raraku volcano – which is an Unesco World Heritage Site.
Easter Island lies 3,500km (2,174 miles) off the coast of Chile. It relies on tourism and reopened just three months ago following its closure during the Covid-19 pandemic. The site has now been closed again while a conservation team examines the extent of the damage.
The island’s Mayor Pedro Edmunds told local media: “The damage caused by the fire can’t be undone.”
The director of the Ma’u Henua community which looks after the national park described it as “irreparable and with consequences beyond what your eyes can see”.
“The moai are totally charred,” Ariki Tepano said through the park’s official social media pages.
IMAGE SOURCE, RAPA NUI MUNICIPALITY Image caption, The fire, which broke out on Monday, affected nearly 60 hectares (148 acres) The are some 1,000 giant stone statues and carvings on Easter Island- the largest of which weigh 74 tonnes and stand 10m tall.
The figures were carved by the indigenous Rapa Nui people sometime between the years 1400 and 1650, and positioned to form a ring around the island, facing inland.
Best known for their deep-set eyes and long ears, they also sport impressive multi-tonne hats made from a different rock type.
They were figures of spiritual devotion for the Rapa Nui, embodying the spirit of a prominent ancestor. Each one was considered to be the person’s living incarnation.
One of the statues – known as the Hoa Hakananai’a – is housed in the British Museum, gifted by a British naval captain to Queen Victoria in the 1860s.
The Chilean government and the island’s authorities requested it is returned in 2018.
But the island’s mayor suggested he would prefer a financial commitment from the museum to ensure the upkeep of the remaining moai on the island.
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Research trip: British professor Tom Marsh goes missing in Chile
Police are actively looking for the Warwick University scientist who went missing in the Chilean desert about a week ago.
According to police, a British professor who was visiting Chile to study has gone missing.
Tom Marsh, 60, from Rugby in Warwickshire, had been visiting La Silla Observatory on the outskirts of the Chilean Atacama Desert, about 370 miles (595km) north of the capital Santiago.
He has not been heard from since the night of Friday 16 September.
Police described him as white, about 6ft 3in tall, balding, with grey hair and a beard.
He will likely wear a blue rain jacket, walking boots, and a grey woolen hat.
Professor Marsh works in the Department of Physics at Warwick University, where his research interest is in binary stars.
In a statement through Warwickshire Police, his family said: “We are deeply concerned for Tom and miss him, and would ask anyone who may have information on his whereabouts to please help.”
In a post on social media, his daughter Tabitha said the family was “desperate” to find him, adding: “He was out on an observing run at the La Silla Observatory in Chile when he went missing.
“The closest town is La Serena. If anyone has any information or thinks they can help, please contact the police… Thank you.
“My family, and my dad’s friends and colleagues, would be beyond grateful for any help or information.”
Image: La Silla European Southern Observatory Warwickshire Police said its officers are in contact with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and Interpol, as well as Chilean authorities.
Anyone with information should call Warwickshire Police on 101 quoting incident number 153 of 18 September 2022.
If calling from outside the UK, police can be contacted at +44 1926 415000 or information can be reported online.
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DC Comics sues Chilean Bakery “Superpan” over copyright infringement
After nearly three years of litigation with entertainment giant DC Comics, a small neighborhood bakery in Chile has retained the right to use the brand “Superpan”.
41-year-old Gonzalo Montenegro has been selling bread in his native Quinta Normal, a commune in the Santiago province, for over three decades. As a youth, he would promote his products by wearing a green “Peter Pan” t-shirt, and one with the iconic symbol of the “Man of Steel”.
It was the second one that really stuck with people, and before long, they started calling him “Superpan”, a play on words combining “Superman” and “pan”, the Spanish word for ‘bread’. Over the last 28 years, Montenegro used ‘Superpan’ as a brand to sell his bakery products, but some three years ago, he learned that he was being sued by DC Comics, the owners of Superman
Montenegro told Chilean reporters that his legal troubles began at the height of the pandemic, when he started allowing people in need of money to sell his products under the Superpan brand. He assumes some of them started promoting them online, and that drew the attention of DC Comics, a global corporation and one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies.
The Chilean baker believes that DC assumed that he operated a large chain of bakeries, not a small family-owned neighborhood bakery, otherwise it wouldn’t have made much sense to go after him. But they did, and Montenegro found himself challenged in court over the use of the name Superpan, which DC claimed was “practically the same” as Superman. The lawyers of the corporation argued that allowing Superpan to operate would create confusion and harm the Superman brand.
To make matters worse, Chilean corporation Agrosuper also joined the lawsuit, accusing Superpan of infringing on its own brands, like “superpollo”, “supercerdo”, and others.
Now, after almost three years, Chile’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INAPI) rendered a verdict in this case, declaring that Superpan was not infringing on any intellectual property and was free to use the name going forward.
“Our place is social, the bread that is left over we give away; DC believed that he was suing a corporation, a brand, but they found me, a humble guy who was going to be stripped of everything because of the nickname he adopted, out of admiration for Superman, when he was a child,” Montenegro said.
After the legal victory, Superpan was finally able to return to serving its community 100 percent, and even though DC still has the option of an appeal, the bakery’s legal representation believes that it is very unlikely that they will pursue it.
Source: Oddity Central -
Mysterious purple cloud over Chile Town puzzles locals, pics go viral
Local officials remained at the site of the mine in Chile for 48 hours during which the cloud disappeared.
A mysterious purple cloud appeared over a town in Chile on Sunday, baffling locals and officials, according to a report in Philadelphia-based news outlet Al Dia. Locals posted the images on social media platforms like Twitter showing the vibrant purple clouds hanging low over Pozo Almonte, while the sky appears to be clean.
Local authorities launched an investigation to understand the phenomenon, which generated fear in the community, the outlet further said. The cloud cover originated at the Cala Cala mine, very close to the town.
“We are carrying out an inspection process, which shows us that this fact is due to the failure of a motor of the booster pump,” Al Dia quoted Deputy Regional Director of Tarapaca, Christian Ibanez, as saying.
Environmental official Emanuel Ibarra said the pump failure had caused iodine at the plant to change from a solid to a gaseous state, according to the outlet.
As per Meaww, the mine site is owned by the Saltpetre and Iodine Company (Cosayach).
“Until now, there have been no medical consultations or affectations as a result of the situation we are experiencing,” it quoted Tarapaca Region, Representative Daniel Quinteros, as saying.
“We are also in contact with the Superintendency of Environment so that tomorrow we can evaluate the filing of a complaint for non-compliance with the regulations and the commitments made by the company in environmental matters,” Quinteros further said.
Local officials remained at the site of the mine for 48 hours during which the cloud disappeared.
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2030 World Cup: Argentina, Uruguay, two others bid to be joint hosts
Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina and Chile have presented a joint bid to FIFA to enable them host the 2030 World Cup.
Hosting the 2030 World Cup for Uruguay would mean a lot to the country since it would mark its centenary after hosting the competition’s first ever tournament in 1930.
President of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol), Alejandro Dominguez, said “there will be more World Cups, but the cup only turns 100 one time, and it needs to come home.”
According to him, “this is the dream of a continent.”
Corroborating the need for a centenary celebration is President of the Uruguayan Football Association, Ignacio Alonso, who said “It’s right for the World Cup to be hosted where it all began, 100 years later.”Â
Meanwhile, Spain and Portugal have also announced a bid to be joint hosts.
Fifa plans to select the 2030 host in 2024.
The UK and Republic of Ireland football associations agreed in February not to bid for the 2030 World Cup and instead focus on a joint attempt to host Euro 2028.
Uruguay beat Argentina in the final to win the inaugural World Cup in 1930 and Dominguez was speaking at the scene of that win – Montevideo’s Centenario Stadium.
Chile hosted the World Cup in 1962, while the tournament was held in Argentina in 1978.
The 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar while Canada, Mexico and the USA will be joint hosts in 2026.
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Coronavirus: Chile to introduce controversial certificate
Chile’s government has said it will go ahead with a controversial plan to issue certificates to people who have recovered from Covid-19.
The documents would be given to people to allow them to return to work, Deputy Health Minister Paula Daza said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said there is “no evidence” that people who contract coronavirus are immune from being infected again.
The body said “immunity” certificates could help the virus spread.
Chile has reported 189 virus-related deaths and more than 13,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
“There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from Covid-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection,” the WHO said in a briefing note on Friday.
The body argued that so-called “immunity certificates” could even be harmful, because they could lead people to ignore public health advice and therefore increase the risk of transmitting the disease.
However, MS Daza told reporters on Sunday: “One of the things that we know is that a person who has had the illness has a lower probability of becoming ill again.”
She added that the certificates would not confirm that people had immunity to Covid-19, but rather state that they had recovered from the disease and had completed a period of isolation.
At least 200,000 people have died with the coronavirus across the world, and many governments are now trying to find ways to ease their lockdown restrictions.
Source:Â bbc.com
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Chilean plane en route to Antarctica disappears with 38 on board
A military plane with 38 people on board has disappeared en route to Antarctica, Chile’s air force says.
The C-130 Hercules transport aircraft took off from Punta Arenas at 16:55 local time (19:55 GMT), and operators lost contact soon after 18:00 (21:00).
Those missing include 17 crew and 21 passengers.
Read: DR Congo: Many dead as plane crashes into homes
They were travelling to provide logistical support to a military base on Antarctica’s King George Island. A search-and-rescue mission is under way.
Air Force General Eduardo Mosqueira told local media that the plane did not activate any distress signal.
He said the plane, whose pilot had extensive experience, may have been forced to land after running out of fuel.
An air force statement that the plane was about 450 miles into its 770-mile journey when contact was lost, placing it within the Drake Passage.
Read: Last remains of Ethiopian plane crash victims buried, families say little notice given
The Drake Passage is body of water connecting the South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans, and is known for treacherous weather conditions. But Chile’s air force said local weather was good at the time of the plane’s disappearance.
President Sebastián Piñera said in a tweet that he was “dismayed” by the loss, and was monitoring the situation from the capital, Santiago.
Chile controls over 1.2 million sq km (463,000 sq miles) of Antarctic territory, bordering land claimed by the UK and Argentina. Within this territory it operates nine bases – the most of any country in the world.
Source:Â BBC