At least 18 dead as wildfires sweep through Chile - VIDEO

Chilean President Gabriel Boric announced on Sunday that the death toll from wildfires devastating the country’s south-central region has risen to 18 and is expected to increase further.

"Today we have a confirmed number of 18 fatalities, but unfortunately we are certain that this figure will rise," Boric told reporters in Concepcion in the Biobio region, about 500 km south of Santiago, Xinhua reported.

He said preliminary estimates indicate around 300 homes have been destroyed in Biobio alone, warning that the final number could exceed 1,000.

Stabil.Az