A screenshot of the fires raging in Chile. ©AFPAt least 13 people were reported dead on Friday night as more than 150 wildfires swept through Chile amid a scorching heat wave.
Four of the deaths involved two separate vehicles in the Biobío region, about 560 kilometers south of the capital Santiago.
“In one case they were burned because they were hit by fire,” Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said.
In the other case, he said, the victims died in an accident “probably trying to escape the fire”.
A fifth victim was a firefighter who was hit by a fire truck while battling a blaze in the area.
Later in the afternoon, a helicopter that was helping to fight the flames crashed in the Araucanía region, killing the pilot, a Bolivian national, and a mechanic, who was Chilean.
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During the night, the national agency responsible for emergencies brought the death toll to 13.
As of midday Friday, 151 fires were burning across Chile, with 65 reported to be under control. The fires had raged across more than 14,000 hectares.
Most of the fires are in Biobío and nearby Ñuble, where the government has declared a state of catastrophe. This allows for greater coordination with the military and the suspension of some constitutional rights.
The heat wave that hit Chile is set to continue with high temperatures and strong winds that could make burning even more challenging.
To find out more, watch the RockedBuzz via Euronews report in the video above.
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