At least 19 people have died as a result of forest fires in southern Chile, Interior Minister Alvaro Elizalde announced on January 19.
“To date, we have information about 19 deaths and 630 people have been placed in temporary shelters“, he said in a press conference broadcast on the National Disaster Management Agency's YouTube channel.
The fires have destroyed at least 325 homes. The number of affected residents is estimated at more than 1,500. Evacuations have been ordered in several communities. Chile's National Forestry Corporation said firefighters were still battling 31 fires as of Monday evening, burning more than 32,600 hectares.
The severe fires began on January 17 amid dry and hot weather. The most serious fires have been recorded in the Bio-Bio and Nubl regions, where a state of emergency has been declared.