The death toll rises in Chile after three days of what authorities described as a “mega fire”. The south-central region is engulfed in flames since Saturday January 17, when several outbreaks broke out, causing at least 20 deaths so faraccording to the Ministry of the Interior. The flames devoured more than 42,000 hectares in the Biobio, Ñuble, and Araucania regions, several hundred kilometers south of Santiago.
Winds blowing at more than 70 km per hour and temperatures exceeding 30°C, unusual for the region, opened the door to this new disaster which has already led to the displacement of more than 50,000 people.
The port town of Lirquen and the coastal town of Penco, located north of Concepcion, the capital of the Biobio region, were particularly affected.
Nearly 4,000 firefighters mobilized
On Monday, when the weather conditions had improved, Chilean President Gabriel Boric (left) visited the site. “We managed to control or contain part of the fires. Some, however, remain very active and are the subject of intense combat.”he declared, emphasizing that the appearance of new outbreaks in Araucanía implied a reorganization of the emergency services and security forces deployed on the ground. Nearly 4,000 firefighters were mobilized, assisted by the army and the gendarmerie.
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