Nearly 100 dead and more than 3,000 homes burned in unprecedented fires in Chile

Chili live this weekend “the greatest tragedy” since the February 2010 earthquake, in the words of President Gabriel Boric himself, and for this reason, several Latin American countries, in addition to Pope Francis and the European Union (EU), have sent messages of solidarity in recent hours.

These responses take place in the middle of the emergency and offer condolences to the victims of the fires that are occupying the center of the country and which have so far 99 dead and 3,000 houses burned.

The Chilean president, who comes from the Valparaíso region, where the most devastating fires were concentrated, decreed this two days of national mourningwhich starts on Monday, and has also warned that the number of deaths will “increase significantly”.

The region of Valparaiso, located 100 kilometers east of Santiago, is the epicenter of at least seven fires, according to the latest report from the National Forestry Corporation (Conaf). The fires started Friday morning and spread quickly due to high temperatures and strong winds in the region.

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Joseph Borrellhas expressed its solidarity with the Chilean Government and the Chilean people and assured that “The EU is ready to cooperate and provide assistance in these difficult times“.

Borrell, in a post published on the social network X, linked the tragedy to “the ravages of drought and climate.”

Community sources have explained that European Union aid will arrive when Chile formally requests it from Brussels. The support the Twenty-Seven will provide will depend on the type of assistance the South American country requests.