Central and southern Chile have been affected by large forest fires on Saturday. According to local authorities, these have cost at least 19 people their lives, writes the AFP news agency.
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of disaster. A curfew has been in effect on Saturday and several evacuations have been carried out.
The El Niño weather phenomenon has led to unusually high temperatures and drought in the southern parts of South America. In Viña del Mar and Valparaíso there is currently extreme heat of over 40 degrees and 1,100 houses have been destroyed in the fires. Thousands of hectares of forest and coastal towns are covered in thick smoke that has forced people from their homes.
According to the country’s interior minister, there are currently 92 active forest fires out of control over a total of 43,000 hectares.