112 Killed in Forest Fires in Chile, Nation’s Worst Disaster Since 2010 Earthquake

Forest fires have killed at least 112 people so far and razed entire neighbourhoods in central Chile. President Gabriel Boric warned that the country faces a “tragedy of very great magnitude”.

According to Chilean authorities, hundreds are still missing, hinting that the death toll will rise.

The forest fires that gathered momentum on Friday were still not under control on Sunday. The forest fires reached the outer edges of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso, two coastal cities popular with tourists.

Videos shared on social media showed hillside fires burning close to apartment blocks in Valparaiso.

Chilean authorities sent in the military to help firefighters check the spread of fires. Helicopters were used to dump water to try to douse the flames.

Chile’s Legal Medical Service on Sunday reported that 112 people have died in the fires. The death toll was 51 on Saturday.

“It is Chile as a whole that suffers and mourns our dead,” President Gabriel Boric said in a televised speech to the nation. “We are facing a tragedy of very great magnitude,” he added.

Deputy Interior Minister Manuel Monsalve said 165 fires raged across Chile and estimated about 14,000 homes have been damaged in the Vina del Mar and Quilpué areas alone.