Widespread destruction by forest fires in Chile

 At least 46 people are reported to have lost their lives as monstrous fires engulfed the central and southern regions of Chile, with Valparaíso among the most affected. President Gabriel Boric has warned that the number of victims from the fires is likely to increase. Yesterday, Chile's interior minister, Carolina Tohá, said that there were currently 92 fires in the forests of the central and southern areas of the country, which were engulfed by an unusual period of high temperatures. Chilean officials said the most devastating fires were in the Valparaíso region, where authorities urged residents to stay indoors so firefighters and emergency vehicles could get through more quickly. No further details about the victims have been released. The minister added that 5,000 hectares of forest had burned in the Quilpué and Villa Alemana areas, while the coastal resort of Viña del Mar was also threatened. Officials have reported power outages from the fires in Valparaíso, which have also forced the evacuation of two hospitals.