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16 Dead And Hundreds Injured In Chilean Wildfire

Christianna Wiggins |
April 13, 2014 | 5:07 p.m. PDT

Executive Producer

 

Chilean wildfire is sweeping through the city (twitpic|@itvnews)
Chilean wildfire is sweeping through the city (twitpic|@itvnews)
A wildfire in Chile killed 16 people and burned through almost 2,000 acres in the coastal city of Valparalso by Sunday morning, according to Chile's National Emergency Office's website. 

500 houses have been destroyed and 10,000 residents have been evacuated, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said

1,250 firefighters, forest rangers and police are combatting the wildfire that regional governor Ricardo Bravo has called "the worst catastrophe" he has ever seen. 

Strong winds have been feeding the blaze and interfering with the firefighters ability to make successful firebreaks.

Although the fire is moving among the hilltops, Bachelet has declared a state of emergency for the entire city, which allows military personnel to step in and help fight the flames.

Several people have sustained burn related wounds and hospitals have seen hundreds of patients with breathing problems provoked by the smoke, according to the Daily News.

The government expects that there will be more casualties and injuries discovered once the authorities are able to search through the rubble, Bachelet said

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