Forest fire in Chile leaves at least 4 dead

“We have to regret […] the confirmation of four people dead. They are people who moved around in vehicles” in the town of Santa Juana, in the Biobío region, informed Chile's Minister of the Interior, Carolina Tohá.

Tohá reported that two of the victims died after being caught by the flames while they were on a main road, while the other two died due to a traffic accident, “probably trying to escape the fire”.

The flames threaten urban areas, as shown in videos shared on social media.

According to authorities, around 200 fires devastated an area of ​​more than 29 thousand hectares, leaving 107 houses damaged and 12 people injured. Of the 178 active outbreaks, 39 have not yet been controlled.

The country's president, Gabriel Boric, decided to suspend his vacation and went to the city of Concepción (510 kilometers south of Santiago).

(Source: AFP)

See also:

Oceans are warmer than ever, analysis shows

Last year, the world's oceans recorded the hottest temperatures. This finding is further proof of the profound and widespread changes that man-made emissions are causing to the planet's climate – as we know that 90% of the heat caused by global warming goes to the oceans.