Forest fires kill 51 in Chile, menace urban areas

Smoke from wildfires blankets the sky in Vina Del Mar, Chile February 2, 2024. REUTERS/Rodrigo Garrido

(Reuters) -Forest fires raging in central Chile have killed at least 51 people and the death toll is likely to keep climbing, authorities said on Saturday, as emergency services battled to snuff out flames threatening urban areas.

Black smoke billowed into the sky over many parts of the Valparaiso region, home to nearly one million inhabitants in central Chile, while firefighters using helicopters and trucks struggled to quell the fires.