According to Interior Minister Carolina Tohá, more than 40,000 hectares of land have burned around Chile.
At least 46 people have already died in the extensive wildfires in Chile, said the country’s president Gabriel Boric Saturday evening local time.
Speaking on national television, Boric warned that the death toll could still rise.
– Considering the circumstances of this tragedy, the number of victims will increase in the next few hours, he said.
Boric reminded Chileans to obey the instructions of rescue workers.
– If you are given an order to evacuate, don’t hesitate, he said.
According to the authorities, at least 1,100 homes have already been destroyed in the fires.
Four large wildfires are raging in the Valparaiso region in central Chile. Rescue workers in the area have had difficulty reaching all the population centers threatened by the fires. Thousands of residents of the area have been ordered to evacuate.
The area around the coastal town of Vina del Mar, located in the Valparaiso region and popular with tourists, is one of the areas most affected by the fires, officials said on Saturday.
A national state of emergency has been declared in Chile due to wildfires.
The fire area quickly grew by 10,000 hectares
Minister of the Interior of Chile Carolina Tohá said earlier on Saturday that more than 40,000 hectares of terrain have burned around the country and there are more than 90 active fires.
Last year, 27 people died in wildfires in Chile, and the area affected by the fires was 400,000 hectares.
– The extent of wildfires is now much smaller than at this time last year, but the fires are expanding very quickly, Interior Minister Tohá said.
During Friday and Saturday, wildfires grew by more than 10,000 hectares.
Chile’s ongoing dry summer and heat wave have accelerated the spread of fires.
Sources: AFP, AP, Reuters