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 Valparaíso 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. “