A state of emergency and two days of mourning have been declared in Chile after wildfires killed at least 112 people.
President Gabriel Boric has warned the death toll is likely to rise, with about 200 people reported missing from the coastal city of Vina del Mar, a popular beach resort. He said the country faces a ‘tragedy of very great magnitude’.
At least 1,600 people are homeless as a result of the fires, which started last week on the outskirts of Vina del Mar, about 75 miles west of capital Santiago. The city is in Chile’s Valparaiso wine region.
The country’s Forensic Medicine Service said on Sunday afternoon that at least 112 people are known to have died.
The latest advice from the UK Foreign Office says: “Severe forest fires are burning in multiple regions of Chile. You should monitor local media for updates and follow the advice of local authorities.”
It added: “Active forest fires are currently affecting multiple areas of Chile, including parts of Valparaíso, Metropolitan Santiago, O’Higgins, Maule, Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Lagos and Aysén,
“The Chilean authorities have declared a state of emergency owing to these forest fires. Local authorities have closed roads and issued evacuation orders in various locations.
“To facilitate the work of emergency services and evacuations, the authorities have imposed curfews in several municipalities. Further evacuations or curfews may be declared in the coming hours and days if the fires continue to spread.
“Shelters have been established in some locations.”
The FCDO said Brits should carry identification at all times and ‘make evacuation plans that do not rely on British government assistance’.
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President Gabriel Boric has warned the death toll is likely to rise, with about 200 people reported missing from the coastal city of Vina del Mar, a popular beach resort. He said the country faces a ‘tragedy of very great magnitude’.
At least 1,600 people are homeless as a result of the fires, which started last week on the outskirts of Vina del Mar, about 75 miles west of capital Santiago. The city is in Chile’s Valparaiso wine region.
The country’s Forensic Medicine Service said on Sunday afternoon that at least 112 people are known to have died.
The latest advice from the UK Foreign Office says: “Severe forest fires are burning in multiple regions of Chile. You should monitor local media for updates and follow the advice of local authorities.”
It added: “Active forest fires are currently affecting multiple areas of Chile, including parts of Valparaíso, Metropolitan Santiago, O’Higgins, Maule, Biobío, La Araucanía, Los Lagos and Aysén,
“The Chilean authorities have declared a state of emergency owing to these forest fires. Local authorities have closed roads and issued evacuation orders in various locations.
“To facilitate the work of emergency services and evacuations, the authorities have imposed curfews in several municipalities. Further evacuations or curfews may be declared in the coming hours and days if the fires continue to spread.
“Shelters have been established in some locations.”
The FCDO said Brits should carry identification at all times and ‘make evacuation plans that do not rely on British government assistance’.
The post State of emergency declared in Chile as wildfire death toll rises appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
