51 person killed in forest fires in Chile, flames threaten urban areas

(Patria) - At least 51 people have died in forest fires raging in central Chile, with the death toll likely to continue rising, authorities said on Saturday, as emergency services struggle to extinguish flames threatening urban areas, Reuters reported.

Smoke hung over many parts of the Valparaiso region in central Chile, home to nearly one million people, as firefighters using helicopters and trucks worked to put out the blaze.

Areas around the coastal tourist city of Vina del Mar are among the hardest hit, with rescue teams struggling to reach all affected areas, Chilean authorities said.

"The death toll rose after five bodies were found on public roads, and information suggests we will reach much higher numbers in the coming hours," said Interior Minister Carolina Toha.

"The situation in Valparaiso is the most delicate," Toha said, adding that the country is facing its worst disaster since the 2010 earthquake, which killed around 500 people.

President Gabriel Boric said in a televised address: "The situation is truly very difficult."

Forest fires are not uncommon in Chile during the summer months. Last year, following a record heatwave, around 27 people died and more than 400,000 hectares were affected.

"The area affected by fires today is much smaller than last year, (but) at this moment the number of affected hectares is multiplying very quickly," Toha said.

Toha said the authorities' greatest concern is that some of the active fires have developed very close to urban areas, "with a very high potential to affect people, homes and infrastructure."