Wildfires

Wildfires - Chile - Update

At least 11 people have died due to what Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has called the largest and most difficult wildfires in the country's history.

A total of 127 fires were reported as of Sunday in an area of 396,089 hectares, and from those 63 are still burning, 50 have been controlled, and 14 have been put out, according to Chile's National Forestry Corporation. This has forced the evacuation of at least 4,000 people, according to officials.

According to the government, 44 official aircrafts, including planes and helicopters, are being used in different regions of the country to fight the fires. Also, about 7,000 people are working on fire control, including members of the Armed Forces, firemen and volunteers, as well as people from local governments and private companies.

At least 2,970 people have been affected by the fires, 1,061 have seen their homes destroyed and 1,343 people are living in shelters. Authorities confirmed they had detained 30 people for suspicion of premeditated arson.