Forest Fires in Chile Kill at Least 46 as Blazes Hit Towns

Forest fires raging in Chile’s central Valparaiso region have killed at least 46 people and the country’s president sent in military troops on Saturday to help rush evacuations from heavily populated areas.

President Gabriel Boric said that 40 people had been killed in the fires and six more had died from burns at hospitals. He promised a thorough investigation into what caused the blazes. He blamed high temperatures, strong winds and low humidity for hindering efforts to contain the disaster. Military troops were being deployed to help maintain order and curfews have been imposed across the region to ease the movement of rescue workers, he said.