The Chilean government declared a state of catastrophe in the region of La Araucanía, due to the impossibility of controlling the forest fires affecting the central-southern area of the country, which have already consumed more than 45,000 hectares and caused the death of 24 people. Chilean authorities also confirmed that there are currently 283 active fires, while 71 are in combat and 151 are under control, according to the Undersecretary of the Interior, Manuel Monsalve.
Thus, La Araucanía joins the regions of Ñuble and Bío Bío, also in the same situation. As for the official death toll from the accidents, on Friday there were 13 deaths, a figure that rose to 16 over the weekend, then to 22 and then to 24.
In this sense, 50% of the rural area of the commune of Santa Juana has been devastated by the forest fires. Meanwhile, the neighbors of the sector are camping in the middle of desolate fields for fear of robberies and land seizures. Specialized teams will leave today to search for people who are "unreachable" or missing in remote areas of the area.