Photos| Widespread devastation due to Chilean fires… 19 killed and a curfew in the affected areas

At least 19 people died as a result of fires that struck two regions in southern Chile, according to the latest toll announced by the authorities on Sunday, while President Gabriel Buric issued a decree imposing a ban Night walkthrough in the most affected places.

Security Minister Luis Cordero said "The total number of people who have died so far has reached 19"He explained that 18 of them were from the Biobio region and the remaining victim was from the Noble region.

Boric had announced from the city of Concepcion, where he went to manage operations, that 18 people had been killed in a previous toll, adding that "I’m sure this number will increase"

Cordero explained that more than 50,000 people had been evacuated.

The fires broke out on Saturday in the provinces of Nuebla and Vivio, located about 500 kilometers south of the capital, Santiago, in the midst of the southern summer season, which is characterized by high temperatures and strong winds.

The authorities reported that 300 homes have been destroyed so far. The President pointed out that "This number is much lower than the reality, as it is certain that the number of destroyed homes will exceed a thousand"

He explained that Night curfew applies to the most affected places in the Viovio area, in particular Lerquin and Benco. He warned, saying: "The conditions are extremely dangerous"

Agence France-Presse correspondents reported that the fire completely destroyed several homes in the towns of Benko and Lerquin.

Student Mathias Sayed (25 years old) from Benko told AFP. "At 2:30 am, the fire got out of control"He pointed out that the fire destroyed the homes of the neighboring neighborhood.

He explained that the spread of the fire was "Very quickly"This prevented any attempt to rescue any belongings, he continued "I think if we had stayed 20 more minutes, we would have burned out"

The mayor of Benco, Rodrigo Vera, said in an interview with reporters that 14 people died in this town alone.

Scenes of devastation overwhelmed the neighboring coastal town of Lerquin, which has a population of 20,000.

Alejandro Arredondo, a resident of the town (57 years old), told Agence France-Presse. "The fire spread in seconds and destroyed several neighborhoods"

He added, as wooden beams and concrete remains appeared behind him, from which smoke was rising. "Many people escaped the fire by fleeing to the beach"

Esteban Krause, director of the National Forest Corporation (CONAF) in Viovio, pointed out that the weather conditions "Very difficult"And the fire "Totally out of control"

Meteorology in the two regions expects temperatures to exceed 30 degrees Celsius and strong winds.

Interior Minister Alvaro Elizalde described the situation as "complicated"saying "Weather conditions are unfavorable in the next few hours, and temperatures are expected to rise to record levels".

About 3,700 firefighters were mobilized to fight the fire.

On Sunday morning, Buric declared a state of natural disaster, a measure that allows the deployment of the army.

The head of state returned to Santiago on Sunday evening, and pledged to meet the far-right elected president, Jose Antonio Cast, to inform him of the situation. Buric said "In difficult times, Chileunited. Our government and President-elect will work together".
In recent years, the severity of forest fires has intensified in Chile, especially in the southern centre.

On February 2, 2024, several fires broke out in the vicinity of the city of Viña del Mar, 110 kilometers from the city of Santiago in the northwest direction, killing 138 people, according to the latest figures. 16,000 people were also affected, according to official figures.