Chile’s forest fire toll now stands at 99, with hundreds reported missing and 1,000 homes destroyed

Authorities in central Chile reported on Sunday that at least 99 people had died and hundreds more were missing as a result of wildfires. President Gabriel Boric issued a warning, describing the situation as a “tragedy of very great magnitude”.

The outside limits of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso, two renowned tourist destinations along the coast, are under danger due to wildfires that started a few days ago. More than a million people live in the cities’ urban expansion to the west of Santiago, the capital.

In Vina del Mar, whole districts were completely burned, and people were searching among the ruins of burned-out buildings with collapsing corrugated iron roofs, according to Reuters drone video. Cars that had caught fire were all over the streets.

In order to assist firefighters in containing the spread of the fires, Chilean authorities have implemented a curfew that begins at 9 p.m. in the most affected districts. Helicopters have also been used to attempt aerial firefighting.

According to Chile’s official coroner, the Legal Medical Service, 99 persons have perished in the flames, 32 of whose remains have been recognized.

Earlier in the day, Boric warned Chile to brace itself for more terrible news as he declared two days of national mourning to begin on Monday.

“In a statement broadcast to the country, Boric said, ‘It is Chile as a whole that hurts and mourns our deceased. “We are facing a tragedy of very great magnitude.”

According to officials, hundreds of individuals have also been reported missing. Over a thousand dwellings have sustained damage. Authorities said on Saturday that there were over ninety active fires in Chile.

While flames are not unusual in the summer months in the Southern Hemisphere, their lethality makes them the biggest national calamity to strike the nation since the 2010 earthquake, which claimed around 500 lives.

Following a record heat wave last year, about 400,000 hectares (990,000 acres) of land were damaged, and over 27 individuals lost their lives.

Boric has made an effort to direct funding to the most severely affected regions, many of which are well-liked by visitors.

“All of us are tackling the disaster together. “Saving lives is the top priority,” said Boric.