Chile declares state of emergency as forest fires leave at least 51 dead

The Chile government on Friday (Feb 3) declared a state of emergency after a massive, rapidly expanding wildfire engulfed nearly 480 hectares encircling a residential area in the central Valparaiso region threatening hundreds of homes.

The officialssaid that the forest fireshave claimed the lives of at least 51 people further warning that the death toll is expected to rise.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric decreed "a state of emergency due to catastrophe, in order to have all the necessary resources" to fight the fires.

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The fires consolidated in the Vina del Mar and Valparaiso tourist regions have devastated thousands of hectares of forest, cloaked coastal cities in a dense fog of grey smoke and forced people to flee their homes.

Earlier, the officials released a statement saying that 10 people were feared dead in the tragedy.

"We have preliminary information that several people have died, around 10," said Sofia Gonzales Cortes, state representative for the central region of Valparaiso.

Fires destroy approximately 30 homes

The blaze destroyed nearly 30 homes in the towns of Estrella and Navidad, forcing evacuations near the surfing resort of Pichilemu.

"I've never seen anything like it," 63-year-old Yvonne Guzman told news agency AFP.

"It's very distressing because we've evacuated the house but we can't move forward. There are all these people trying to get out and who can't move," she said.

'All forces deployed in fight against fires,' says Chilean president

Chilean President Gabriel Boric, on Friday (Feb 2), decreed "a state of emergency due to catastrophe, in order to have all the necessary resources" to fight the fires.

"All forces are deployed in the fight against the forest fires," he said in a message posted on social media platform X.

Nearly 7,000 hectares have been devastated in the wildfire in Valparaiso alone, as per CONAF, the Chilean national forest authority, which called the blazes "extreme."

The authorities closed the road which connects Valparaiso to the capital Santiago, as a giant cloud of smoke "reduced visibility".

(With inputs from agencies)