SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) – Volunteers in central Chile tried Monday to clear burnt metal, broken glass and other debris from neighborhoods. destroyed by wildfire In the past few days, authorities have increased the death toll to 123. Hundreds of people remain missing.
The fire had been raging in the east end of Viña del Mar since Friday and appeared to be under control by Monday morning. Two other towns in the Valparaiso region, Quilpe and Villa Alemana, were also heavily damaged. President Gabriel Boric At least 3,000 homes were burnt in the area, it said on Sunday.
Marisol Prado, director of Chile's forensic services, said 10 more victims had been added to the death toll on Monday afternoon.
Prado said many of the bodies were in poor condition and difficult to identify, but added that forensic scientists would take samples of genetic material from people who reported their relatives missing.
Vina del Mar Mayor Macarena Ripamonti said at least 370 people were reported missing in the city of about 300,000 people.
The fire razed several neighborhoods built precariously atop a mountain to the east of Viña del Mar, also a popular beach resort.
Officials have suggested that some of the wildfires around the city may have been intentionally started. Borich said dry weather, strong winds and low humidity helped the fire spread faster.
Priscilla Rivero, a chef in the Alto Miraflores neighborhood, said it took about 15 minutes for the flames to travel from the neighboring hill to her home.
When she saw the fire approaching, she rushed her children to safety, but by the time she returned to retrieve some of her belongings, the house was on fire and flames were pouring out of the windows. It is said that it was rising.
“This is where we've lived our whole lives,” Rivero said. “It's very sad to see it destroyed and lose our memories, our photos, our parents' wedding photos, but some of it will stay with us.”
Late Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement: “Jill and I are deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the ongoing wildfires in Chile.”
“My administration is in contact with our partners in Chile, and the United States stands ready to provide the Chilean people with the assistance they need.”
Schools and other public buildings in Viña del Mar and the capital, Santiago, are now functioning as warehouses and people are accepting donations of water, food, candles, shovels and more for the fire victims. .
In Viña del Mar and the nearby towns of Villa Alemana and Quilpe, police asked people unaffected by the fires to stay in their homes so rescue workers could move more easily.
Hundreds of people affected by the fire returned to their homes on Monday and searched through the rubble. Many say they prefer to sleep close to their homes to prevent looters from taking their possessions or plundering the land on which their homes are built.
In the Villa Independencia neighborhood on the eastern edge of Viña del Mar, Marco Delgadillo tried to clear debris from his 25-year-old home, but at the time the area was occupied by workers without a construction permit. It was randomly colonized by
Furniture in Delgadillo's home was consumed by the flames and the walls, blackened by smoke, were still standing.
The construction workers said they would rebuild and asked the city government to help repair the house's collapsed roof before winter sets in in the southern hemisphere.
“We have no other choice,” Delgadillo said. “It's impossible to buy new land now.”
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Rueda reported from Bogotá, Colombia.
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