Chile mobilises military to help evacuate thousands in port city of Valparaiso threatened by huge, out-of-control forest fire VALPARAISO — Chile on Sunday mobilised its military to help evacuate thousands of people in its port city of Valparaiso threatened by a huge, out-of-control forest fire that has already killed four people and destroyed 500 homes.President Michelle Bachelet declared the massive blaze threatening the city — whose historic center is a protected Unesco heritage site — a disaster zone, permitting the armed forces to step in."This is the worst catastrophe Valparaiso has ever seen," the regional government administrator, Ricardo Bravo, told local reporters."We have four people dead — three men and a woman," Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo told Radio Cooperativa, giving a provisional death toll.More than 3,000 people have so far been evacuated from their homes on the heights above Valparaiso, a city of 270,000 people which lies on the Pacific coast 110km northwe...
BL Premium
This article is reserved for our subscribers.
A subscription helps you enjoy the best of our business content every day along with benefits such as exclusive Financial Times articles, ProfileData financial data, and digital access to the Sunday Times and Sunday Times Daily.
Already subscribed? Simply sign in below.
Questions or problems? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now