In the pictures, in the pictures. In Chile, fires kill at least 19 people and destroy more than 40,000 hectares

a 'An unprecedented disaster' According to the mayor of Viña del Mar, Macarena Ripamonti. In Chile, at least 19 people were killed in fires that destroyed nearly 43,000 hectares, especially in the Valparaiso tourist region, which suffers from high temperatures. “The Valparaiso area has never seen a situation of this magnitude.”whispered Macarena Ripamonti, whose city was particularly affected.

On the hills of the famous seaside resort, the streets are filled with hundreds of charred cars. Thousands of people found their homes destroyed on Saturday. The pictures that were widely circulated show the mountains engulfed in flames at the end of the famous “Route 68”, a route used by thousands of tourists towards the shores of the Pacific Ocean.

Firefighters have been fighting tirelessly since Friday against dozens of homes in the areas of Valparaiso and O'Higgins, as well as Maule, Biobio, La Araucanía and Los Lagos in the south. As of midday Saturday, 92 fires were still active, including 40 under control. Chilean President Gabriel Buric declared a state of emergency “We have all the necessary means” In the face of the development of fire. Since Wednesday, the temperature has approached 40 degrees in central Chile. This heat wave, caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon, causes wildfires that are exacerbated by global warming.