Death Toll From Forest Fires in Chile Rises to 112 – Deputy Interior Minister

MOSCOW, February 5 (Sputnik) – The wildfire death toll in Chile’s coastal region of Valparaiso has risen to 112 as infernos continue to rage amid unusually high temperatures, Deputy Interior Minister Manuel Monsalve said on Monday.

“There are 112 people dead … 32 bodies have been identified … 38 autopsies have been performed and there are 10 people, whose bodies are ready to be delivered to their families,” the official said in a live broadcast on T13 TV channel.

The fires erupted around Friday and spread to wider areas over the weekend amid what Interior Minister Carolina Toha said on Saturday, were higher-than-normal temperatures for this time of year.

The average minimum and maximum temperatures for the Chilean capital of Santiago varied from 14 degrees Celsius (57.2 Fahrenheit) to 30 degrees Celsius throughout January, according to Weather Spark online service.

On Saturday, Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared two days of mourning in the country starting from February 5, and announced a state of emergency in the country’s Valparaiso region due to wildfire.