Chilean President Gabriel Boric called the natural disaster caused by fires in the country the worst tragedy in 14 years, Report informs via TASS.
“These days we are experiencing the biggest tragedy since February 27 (2010, when an earthquake occurred in Chile, which killed more than 600 people). I say this so that we can evaluate the scale of these fires and their impact on thousands of families,” Boric said in a post on X.
He also said that the Chilean authorities continue to work to eliminate forest fires in the country and minimize the consequences of the disaster.
On February 2, the President of Chile declared a state of emergency in Valparaiso due to fires. In addition, a curfew was imposed in the region from 08:00 to 12:00 to ensure the free movement of firefighters. According to authorities, at least 112 people died as a result of the fires; the flames affected an area of over 40,000 hectares.