The Chilean government reported that it arrested 10 people on suspicion of being involved in the fires that devastated thousands of hectares in the country and brought the death toll to 24.
The Government of Chile reported this Sunday that 10 people arrested on suspicion of involvement in the fires that devastate thousands of hectares in the center and south of the country and bring the number of deaths to 24.
The Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve, recalled at a press conference that the law is very harsh in these cases, with prison sentences ranging from five to 20 years.
In the last few hours, a man hospitalized in the municipality of Angol, in the Araucanía Region, died from serious injuries, which increased to 24 the balance of fatalities due to fires.
Manuel Monsalve indicated that “there are 26 people hospitalized with severe burns” and that more than 100,000 hectares and 800 houses were destroyed, displacing more than 800 people.
In the next few hours, a plane from the Spanish Military Emergency Unit (UME) and a high-capacity water plane contracted by the Government will arrive in the region.
Since they started the fires had almost no air combat due to weather conditions, according to the authorities, and also because, according to local specialists, the private companies that have these resources have excessive rates.
The spokeswoman for the executive, Camila Vallejo, and other Chilean officials urged private companies to increase their help in putting out fires, with a special request to the logging companies, whose experts blame the situation on the overexploitation of the forests.
In addition to this factor, they also point to the wood residues they leave in the fields and to reforestation with species such as eucalyptus and pine, plus fuel.
According to the latest information from the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Attention (Senapred) of the Chilean Ministry of the Interior, there are currently 260 active fires throughout the country.
This official assured that “Overnight fire activity was lower than expected”because temperatures have softened slightly, but he warned that, from Tuesday, the south will face a new heat wave, with record temperatures that can reach 40 degrees Celsius.
The wave of fires mainly affects the regions of Ñuble, Biobío and La Araucanía, areas of intense agricultural and forestry activity located 400, 500 and 700 kilometers south of the Chilean capital, respectively.
The Government of Chile has decreed a State of Constitutional Exception for Disasters, which allows faster delivery of aid to affected people and the mobilization of resources, among other measures.
The European Commission (EC) assured this Sunday that it is “prepared” to help Chile with regard to forest fires.
Source: Observadora
