Financial Diary – Santiago
The devastating fires that affected mainly the provinces of Valparaíso and Marga Marga since Friday have left at least 112 people dead and damage that could exceed 6,000 homes, according to the balance sheet released this Monday morning by the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred).
The red alerts for fires were maintained not only in the provinces of Valparaíso and Marga Marga, but also extended to other communal areas of the regions of Valparaíso, O’Higgins, La Araucanía and Los Lagos.
What we are experiencing these days is the greatest tragedy since 27/F. I say this so that we can measure the magnitude of these fires and their effects on thousands of families. For this reason, I have decided to declare two days of national mourning starting this Monday. It’s whole Chile… pic.twitter.com/YAjWEUuB1R
— Gabriel Boric Font (@GabrielBoric) February 4, 2024
Sunday February 4
President Gabriel Boric announced on Sunday afternoon that he declared national mourning for two days starting tomorrow, Monday, due to the hundreds of fatalities so far left by the devastating fires that mainly affect the Valparaíso Region.
In a publication on social networks, Boric described the accidents as “the biggest tragedy since 27/F. I say this so that we can measure the magnitude of these fires and their effects on thousands of families. For this reason, I have decided to declare two days of national mourning starting this Monday. “It is all of Chile that suffers and mourns its dead.”
The Legal Medical Service (SML) reported that the number of deaths due to the forest fires in the Valparaíso region increased to 99.
At 6:00 pm in the afternoon a new day of curfew began in the communes of Viña del Mar, Quilpué, Villa Alemana and Limache, with the aim of decongesting the streets and facilitating the work of emergency teams in the area. The measure will be extended until 10:00 am on Monday.
Although the fires have caused the greatest damage in the provinces of Valparaíso and Marga Marga, new red alerts were triggered on Sunday due to accidents in the Metropolitan, Maule and Los Lagos regions.
Emergency measures
Early on, from the Fernando Durán Villaroel school, an establishment set up as a shelter in the commune of Quilpué, Boric announced a series of measures in what is the third day of fires in different sectors of the Valparaíso region.
The president emphasized that the priority of today is “saving lives, treating the injured and controlling active outbreaks,” which is why he reported that the curfew will be maintained “as long as necessary.” In addition, he indicated that the presence of soldiers in the affected areas is being reinforced, which will soon number 1,311 on the streets.
