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Deadly fire destroys homes in Chile's Valparaiso Chile fire: 16 dead in Valparaiso
(about 3 hours later)
A forest fire has killed at least 11 people and destroyed more than 500 homes in Chile's port city Valparaiso. A forest fire has killed at least 16 people and destroyed hundreds of homes in Chile's port city Valparaiso.
Thousands of people have been evacuated from the city to escape the flames, which have been fanned by strong winds coming in from the Pacific. Thousands of people have also been evacuated to escape the flames, which were fanned by strong winds.
President Michelle Bachelet put the army in charge of the evacuation after declaring the city, 110km (70 miles) west of Santiago, a disaster zone. President Michelle Bachelet put the army in charge of the evacuation after declaring the city, 110km (70 miles) west of the Chilean capital, Santiago, a disaster zone.
Many residents of the city are said to be suffering from smoke inhalation. A regional official said it was the "worst catastrophe" he had ever seen.
Large parts of Valparaiso are without electricity. "We fear that the fire will spread to the centre of the city, which would increase the severity of the emergency," regional governor Ricardo Bravo, a life-long resident of Valparaiso, said.
The number of people confirmed dead is expected to rise, police General Julio Pineda was quoted by the Associated Press as saying. The old centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, packed with old buildings that are vulnerable to fire.
Volunteer firefighters found the charred remains of two elderly people on a street in the port area, Chilean navy Admiral Julio Leiva said without giving further details. Difficult job
The city's mayor, Jorge Castro, told Chile's National Television that refuges have been set up for the thousands of residents that have been forced to flee the fire. Strong Pacific coast winds have pushed the fire deeper into the neighbourhoods of Valparaiso, hampering the battle to contain the blaze.
"Valparaiso is without electricity at the moment and this means the flame column is creating a Dante-esque panorama and is advancing in an apparently uncontrollable manner," Mr Castro said. The city is also built on a series of steep hills, separated by narrow winding streets, making the job of firefighters all the more difficult, says the BBC's Gideon Long in Santiago.
The battle to contain the blaze has been hampered by strong Pacific coast winds that have pushed the fire deeper into the city's neighbourhoods. Large parts of Valparaiso are without electricity, and residents were said to be suffering from smoke inhalation.
"The weather is complicating the situation," emergency official Guillermo de la Mazza told reporters. "The wind is not doing us any favours. The evacuation is our top priority, along with controlling the fire itself." President Bachelet is in the city to oversee an emergency committee's response.
"The people of Valparaiso have courage, have strength and they aren't alone," she said during a tour of the worst-hit areas.
"Families have not only lost their homes and their possessions but also their family memories."
She added she feared the number of people killed by the fire could rise.
Refuges have been set up to house residents who were forced to flee.
The fire started on Saturday, and most of the damage was done overnight.
'Hell'
Those residents who managed to return to their homes discovered that they had been destroyed.
"It's all burned down. My sister's house also burnt to the ground," Rosa Guzman told the Reuters news agency.
Another resident said the blaze felt as if "hell encircled my family".
"The fire raced down the hills and destroyed everything in its path," Miguel Ramirez told the AFP news agency.
This is the second emergency that President Bachelet has had to face in the first month of her second term in office, after an 8.2 earthquake hit northern Chile on 1 April.
Fires are frequent in central Chile, where summer sends temperatures soaring.
Are you in Valparaiso? Have you been affected by the fire? You can send your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'Valparaiso'.Are you in Valparaiso? Have you been affected by the fire? You can send your experiences to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject line 'Valparaiso'.
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