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full screen Forest fires have devastated the community of Viña del Mar in Chile. The picture is from last Monday. Photo: Esteban Felix/AP/TT
At least 131 people have died and more than 300 people are still missing after massive fires raging in Chile, authorities say.
The search for the missing continues on streets littered with rubble, burnt-out cars and ash in the coastal province of Valparaíso. Work is also underway to identify the bodies that were found after the fire started, forensic authorities say. Relatives who reported missing relatives have been asked to submit a DNA sample.
Fires raged in the coastal city of Viña del Mar on Friday, amid a heat wave with temperatures reaching around 40 degrees. Two other towns, Quilpé and Villa Alemana, were also badly hit. The fire spread quickly in dry weather and strong winds.
Authorities suspect that some of the fires may have been started.