Forest fires in Chile kill at least 112, as death toll expected to rise

The death toll from raging wildfires in Chile has climbed to at least 112 people, Al Jazeera reported, adding 200 people were missing in and around the city of Viña del Mar.

Almost 26,000 hectares (64,000 acres) of land had been burned across the Latin American country’s central and southern regions as of Sunday, according to the national disaster service SENAPRED.

Some 1,400 firefighters and 1,300 military personnel, as well as 31 firefighting helicopters and aeroplanes, have been deployed to fight the fires, according to authorities.

Wildfires are not uncommon in Chile during the summer months and about 27 people died in a spate of blazes in the south-central region of the country last year.