At least 46 dead as forest fires approach densely populated areas of Chile

Smoke rises from burnt-out houses after a forest fire reached Villa Independencia neighbourhood in Vina del Mar, Chile (Esteban Felix/AP)

Intense forest fires burning around a densely populated area of central Chile have caused at least 46 deaths, the country’s president said.

In a nationally televised address, President Gabriel Boric warned that the death toll could worsen as four large fires burn in the region of Valparaiso, where firefighters have struggled to reach the most threatened neighbourhoods.