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Ladybbird · 05-02-24, 23:50

‘Like Being in HELL’: Chile Wildfires Death Toll Reaches 112 Amid Race to Clear Rubble

Chileans Drive Through Wildfires to Escape Apocalyptic Scenes

'Like a war zone' Death count for Chiles’ worst natural disaster in years expected to climb as country begins official two-day mourning period

The Guardian 6 FEB 2024

A woman walks on the remains of her home following wildfires in Viña del Mar, Chile, on Monday

Helicopters dumped tons of water on wildfires raging across central Chile, as emergency crews said they were still finding bodies buried in the wreckage three days after the blazes took hold.

The official death count from Chile’s worst natural disaster in years stood at 112 as of Sunday night and was expected to climb as residents, firefighters and military raced to clear rubble.

Forest fires gathered momentum on Friday and spread to residential areas in the coastal cities of Valparaíso and Viña Del Mar, sending out sparks and fireballs that consumed houses within minutes.

“It’s like a war zone, as if a bomb went off,” said Jacqueline Atenas, 63, who fled her home in nearby Villa Independencia on Friday and returned to the wreckage on Monday carrying a small pink backpack, the only thing she had been able to save.

“It burned like someone was throwing gasoline on the houses. I don’t understand what happened … There was a lot of wind, a lot of wind and big balls of fire that would fly by.”

Down the street, Luis Parra said he was barely able to escape with his wife and grandchildren. By the time he saw sparks reaching his house, the power had gone out and they couldn’t open their gate to escape by car.

They managed to jump in a friend’s car and get away. But his sister and his blind father died. Their bodies were found a block from their home. “We never thought this could happen,” Parra said.

Other residents of Villa Independencia, a working-class neighborhood of Viña del Mar, described high winds and a fast-moving inferno.

Ingrid Crespo, 59, said she first saw the fire far in the distance on Friday then watched it jump from hill to hill.

“The sparks would leap and the wind was blowing like it was a hurricane,” Crespo said. She started pouring water on her roof when she saw sparks flying in, but was too late to save her home.

She escaped in sandals with nothing but the clothes on her back. Many of her neighbors were killed. Her cat and dog died in the fire.

“When my son came on Sunday there were dead bodies,” Crespo said. “There are so many dead.”

Chile began an official two-day mourning period on Monday. Hundreds of people are still missing and some 14,000 homes have been damaged, officials say.

Drone footage of the Viña del Mar area showed whole neighborhoods scorched, with residents rummaging through husks of burnt-out houses where corrugated iron roofs have collapsed. On the streets, singed cars littered the roads.

On Sunday night, the deputy interior minister, Manuel Monsalve, said there were still 165 active fires, up from 154 on Saturday. A curfew has been imposed in the hardest-hit regions and the military has been sent in to help firefighters stop the spread.

Monsalve said slightly lower temperatures and cloud cover could help authorities put out the fires in coming days.

05-02-24, 23:50	#1
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,647 Thanks: 27,646 Thanked 14,458 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	‘Like Being in HELL’ Chile Wildfires: Apocalyptic Scenes as Death Toll Reaches 112 ‘Like Being in HELL’: Chile Wildfires Death Toll Reaches 112 Amid Race to Clear Rubble Chileans Drive Through Wildfires to Escape Apocalyptic Scenes 'Like a war zone' Death count for Chiles’ worst natural disaster in years expected to climb as country begins official two-day mourning period The Guardian 6 FEB 2024 A woman walks on the remains of her home following wildfires in Viña del Mar, Chile, on Monday Helicopters dumped tons of water on wildfires raging across central Chile, as emergency crews said they were still finding bodies buried in the wreckage three days after the blazes took hold. The official death count from Chile’s worst natural disaster in years stood at 112 as of Sunday night and was expected to climb as residents, firefighters and military raced to clear rubble. Forest fires gathered momentum on Friday and spread to residential areas in the coastal cities of Valparaíso and Viña Del Mar, sending out sparks and fireballs that consumed houses within minutes. “It’s like a war zone, as if a bomb went off,” said Jacqueline Atenas, 63, who fled her home in nearby Villa Independencia on Friday and returned to the wreckage on Monday carrying a small pink backpack, the only thing she had been able to save. “It burned like someone was throwing gasoline on the houses. I don’t understand what happened … There was a lot of wind, a lot of wind and big balls of fire that would fly by.” Down the street, Luis Parra said he was barely able to escape with his wife and grandchildren. By the time he saw sparks reaching his house, the power had gone out and they couldn’t open their gate to escape by car. They managed to jump in a friend’s car and get away. But his sister and his blind father died. Their bodies were found a block from their home. “We never thought this could happen,” Parra said. Other residents of Villa Independencia, a working-class neighborhood of Viña del Mar, described high winds and a fast-moving inferno. Ingrid Crespo, 59, said she first saw the fire far in the distance on Friday then watched it jump from hill to hill. “The sparks would leap and the wind was blowing like it was a hurricane,” Crespo said. She started pouring water on her roof when she saw sparks flying in, but was too late to save her home. She escaped in sandals with nothing but the clothes on her back. Many of her neighbors were killed. Her cat and dog died in the fire. “When my son came on Sunday there were dead bodies,” Crespo said. “There are so many dead.” Chile began an official two-day mourning period on Monday. Hundreds of people are still missing and some 14,000 homes have been damaged, officials say. Drone footage of the Viña del Mar area showed whole neighborhoods scorched, with residents rummaging through husks of burnt-out houses where corrugated iron roofs have collapsed. On the streets, singed cars littered the roads. On Sunday night, the deputy interior minister, Manuel Monsalve, said there were still 165 active fires, up from 154 on Saturday. A curfew has been imposed in the hardest-hit regions and the military has been sent in to help firefighters stop the spread. Monsalve said slightly lower temperatures and cloud cover could help authorities put out the fires in coming days.

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