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At least 46 dead in forest fires, state of emergency declared

Santiago: At least 46 people were killed in forest fire in Chile. More than 1100 houses were also destroyed in the fire  that  entered in densely populated areas. Chile  President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency in the central and southern parts of the country.

Earlier, Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said that 92 forest fires were burning in the central and southern regions of Chile. The most fatal incidents occurred in the Valparaíso region. Authorities have evacuated of thousands of residents from their homes. The minister informed that two fires near the towns of Quilpué and Villa Alemana had burnt through at least 8,000 hectares.

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The El Niño weather pattern has caused droughts and hotter than usual temperatures along the west of South America this year. This has increased the risk of forest fires. In January, more than 42,000 acres of forests were destroyed in Colombia by fires that followed several weeks of dry weather.

 

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