Firefighter among the dead as wildfires ravage Chile

At least seven people have died as a result of the more than 150 wildfires burning across Chile that have destroyed homes and thousands of acres of forest while the South American country is in the midst of a scorching heat wave.

Four of the deaths took place in the Biobo region, around 560 kilometres south of the capital of Santiago. Four of the total deaths occurred in two separate vehicles. The fifth victim was a firefighter who was run over by a fire truck while combatting a blaze in the area.

Most of the fires are in Biobio and neighbouring Nuble, where the government has declared states of catastrophe that allow greater coordination with the military and the suspension of certain constitutional rights.

The heat wave hitting Chile is set to continue with high temperatures and strong winds that could make it more challenging to battle the flames.

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