SANTIAGO: Chile has declared a state of emergency as authorities said at least 10 people were feared dead in forest fires in the central Valparaiso area, where blazes are threatening many homes, local media reported on Saturday.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric has announced “a state of emergency” due to disaster to have all the necessary resources to fight the fires in the country.
The fires are concentrated in the Vina del Mar and Valparaiso regions, where they have destroyed hundreds of hectares of forest and also forced evacuations.
Ten Feared Dead in Chile Forest Fires: Report
About 480 hectares have already been burned in Valparaiso, according to the Chilean national forest authority.
As per media reports, the fires are being driven by a heatwave and drought affecting the southern part of the region caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, as experts warn that a warming planet has increased the risk of disasters such as fires.
As Chile and Colombia fight increasing temperatures, the heatwave threatens to sweep over Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil in the next days.
