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The president of Pepper, Gabriel Boric, reported this Sunday that the number of people who died in the devastating fires that are consuming the region of Valparaíso, 100 kilometers east of Santiago, has risen to 64, and warned that the number “will grow significantly”. “It is the greatest tragedy we have experienced as a country since the earthquake of February 27, 2010,” said the president, who declared national mourning for two days starting on Monday. From Quilpué, a city badly affected by the flames, Boric indicated that “one of the most urgent emergencies is to recover the bodies of the people who died”.
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Given the dance of figures and the sometimes contradictory statements from different local and regional authorities, the ruler announced that from now on the only official spokesperson who will provide updates on the number of deaths will be the Legal Medical Service (SML).
LOOK: Chile: at least 64 dead cause the country’s deadliest forest fires in a decade
“The delivery of these numbers must be extremely careful (…) It is important to centralize this information and provide security to the entire population”, he noted.
According to the latest report from the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf)there are at least seven active fires currently burning Valparaisothe largest being the Lake Peñuelas/Las Tablas Reserveclose to the region’s main highway, which has already burned around 9,300 hectares.
That firetogether with that which develops in The Moscosowith 1,350 hectares burned, it is especially worrying due to its virulence and proximity to densely populated areas.
Authorities are hopeful that the improvement in weather conditions that will occur this Sunday, with a slight drop in temperatures and increase in humidityhelp control outbreaks that are still active and allow rescue services to enter the most devastated areas.
“Today’s priority is to save lives, care for the injured and control active outbreaks,” he said. Boricwho decided “maintain the curfew as long as necessary without any type of complex”in various locations to facilitate evacuation tasks.
Due to the simultaneity of the fires and the place where they started, Authorities believe several fires may have been set intentionally.
“It is difficult to think that such miserable and heartless people could exist, capable of generating so much death and pain, but, if such people exist, IAs we search, we will find them and not only the entire society will have to face the repudiation, but also the full weight of law and law.” he added.
It is estimated that there are between 3,000 and 6,000 homes affected by the fire and the Ministry of Health declared a health alert in the area.
The mayor of Viña del Marone of the cities most affected by the fire, said minutes before that the Municipality generates a provisional register of 372 missing people, which does not imply that everyone is dead but gives an idea of the magnitude of the tragedy.
“I declared national mourning for two days starting tomorrow, Monday, because it is Pepper whole who suffers and mourns our dead. Know that you will not be alone, that the government, the State and the solidarity of Chileans, which is always present in these difficult times, will be with you. Once again we will rise”, concluded the president.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
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