Chile declares 'state of catastrophe' following wildfires
- Published
Thousands of people in Chile have been forced to flee their homes due to wildfires.
The most dangerous fire swept through dry forests bordering the coastal city of Concepción, with about 250 homes destroyed.
More than 50,000 people have also been evacuated about 500km (300 miles) south of the capital Santiago, in the Ñuble and Biobío regions.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of catastrophe in the regions, after 18 people were killed.
Where is Chile?
Chile is a country on the southwestern coast of South America, stretched between the Andes Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
It shares borders with Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast and Argentina to the east.
Its capital city is Santiago.
What is a 'state of catastrophe'?
Airplane are often used to water-bomb the fires from above
By declaring a state of catastrophe it means more resources will be made available and there can be greater coordination, with the government even able to send in the military to help.
Chile's forestry agency, Conaf, said firefighters were battling 24 fires across the country on Sunday, with the most serious in Ñuble and Biobío.
The fires have burnt through 8,500 hectares (21,000 acres) in the two regions so far.
Some primary schools like this one have been converted into shelters for people who have had to leave their homes
The majority of the people evacuated live in the cities of Penco and Lirquen, north of Concepción, which together have a population of 60,000.
In Penco the government has brought in a nighttime curfew, where thousands of people have been trying to take refuge in makeshift emergency shelters.
What has made these wildfires so serious?
Weather conditions have played a part, with much of the country having been affected by longterm drought and still remaining under heat alerts.
Temperatures are expected to reach 38C between Santiago and Biobío in the next few days, while strong winds have fanned the flames and made efforts to fight the fires more difficult.
Thousands of homes have been destroyed and the government has warned there is likely to be more damage to come
Chile has experienced a series of devastating fires in recent years.
Two years ago, more than 120 were killed after forest fires in the Valparaíso region near Santiago.
The neighboring country of Argentina has also struggled to contain wildfires which have torn through thousands of acres of forest in recent weeks.
