By The newspaper
04 Feb 2024, 19:02 PM EST
In one of the worst tragedies that Chile has faced since the earthquake of February 27, 2010, the forest fires in the Valparaíso region have so far left 99 people dead, of which only 32 have been identified.
According to the newspaper El País, President Gabriel Boric, after visiting the most affected towns, warned that the number of victims “will grow significantly,” highlighting the urgency of recovering the bodies of the deceased.
The magnitude of the catastrophe is reflected not only in the number of deaths, but also in the more than 370 missing persons reported by the Municipality of Viña del Mar, as announced by the EFE agency.
Rising numbers in Chila and identification efforts
Although this number does not confirm the deaths of all of them, it illustrates the extent of the disaster. The Legal Medical Service (SML) has been designated as the only official source for updates on the deceased, concentrating efforts to identify victims with the support of professionals from Santiago.
Currently, there are at least seven active fires in the region, with the Lago Peñuelas/Las Tablas Reserve fire being the largest, having consumed nearly 9,300 hectares.
The proximity of these fires to densely populated areas has escalated concern, leading the government to advance the curfew in several locations to facilitate rescue and evacuation efforts. It is estimated that between 3,000 and 6,000 homes have been affected by the fire.
Hope in the face of desolation in Chile
Despite the bleak outlook, authorities remain hopeful that improved weather conditions, with a drop in temperatures and an increase in humidity, will contribute to controlling the fires.
President Boric has emphasized the determination to find and punish those responsible for starting the fires, if it is confirmed that they were intentionally set, also declaring two days of national mourning in memory of the victims.
In recent years, Chile has faced a series of devastating forest fires, events that have deeply marked the country on both an environmental and social level.
These fires have been especially severe during the summer months, when dry conditions, high temperatures and strong winds create the perfect environment for fires to start and spread rapidly.
The most affected regions have been those located in the central and southern areas of the country, areas characterized by dense vegetation and significant agricultural and forestry activity.
The fires have not only consumed thousands of hectares of forest, but have also destroyed property, affected wildlife and caused loss of human life.
The magnitude of these disasters has led to states of emergency being declared and has mobilized national and international resources to combat the flames and support affected communities.
The increasing frequency and intensity of forest fires in Chile has been linked to climate change, which has exacerbated drought conditions and increased temperatures in the region.
This situation has forced the country to rethink and strengthen its prevention, early detection and rapid response strategies to forest fires.
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