The President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, warned this Friday that the Government will move «heaven, sea and earth» to find those responsible for the serious fire that is raging in the city of Viña del Mar, in the region of Valparaíso, in the event that it is determined that it was intentional».
«In case there is intentionality we will move heaven, sea and earth to find those responsible», said the Chilean president during a press conference after visiting the area affected by the fire, which has burned so far 130 houses and has left two people dead and 67 injured, according to ‘Bio Bio Chile’.
In the Sausalito sports stadium, after a meeting with regional authorities, the president has highlighted the work of government and communal authorities, also underlining the work of the brigades that have been deployed in the area.
«We are here to facilitate and cooperate, not to take a photo and hinder the work of the brigades. The important thing is to put out the fire and support the families in everything they need», Boric emphasized.
In this sense, he has affirmed before the victims that the Government is not going to leave them alone. «From the experience we have had with these disasters that from time to time hit the country, it is important that the authorities are on the ground with the people supporting them,» he said, according to the newspaper.
The Chilean Executive and the Public Prosecutor’s Office are working, together with the Investigation Police, to investigate what happened and to determine whether the fire was arson or not. So far, the extinguishing services have managed to put out the fire, although it is still active.
On the other hand, the President has assured that his government will prioritize the approval of a bill to prohibit the sale of land devastated by the fire to real estate companies. «No, there is no room for real estate companies,» he said.
In line with the suspicions about the intentionality of the fire, Boric has responded to those who fear that real estate groups may be behind the event, who would seek to obtain profits to build in the devastated area.
Boric has informed that, as of today, there are three bills that «are being discussed in parliament» and that seek to «declare that the burned lands cannot be sold later to real estate companies». «We are going to give it legislative urgency», he assured.
«We are going to work so that this is not only the day of the fire. There has to be support in mental health, in resources, in clothing. Reports are being drawn up for each family to know exactly what they need,» added Boric.
THE GOVERNOR OF VALPARAÍSO POINTS TO THE FIRE BEING PROVOKED The regional governor of Valparaíso, Rodrigo Mundaca, has pointed to the intentionality of the fire, underlining that in 90 percent of the cases, according to the data in Chile, fires are arson.
«In more than 90 percent of the fires there is intentionality», Mundaca emphasized, in line with the Chilean president that, in the case of being so, all resources should be invested to «discover the culprits», as he stated in an interview with the radio station Radio Pauta.
However, the governor of Valparaíso has emphasized another forest fire, located in Santo Domingo, 100 kilometers south of Viña del Mar, which has not yet been controlled.
During this Friday, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office of Valparaiso has started the investigations on the field for the fire in Viña del Mar.
Meanwhile, the National Forestry Corporation has stated that there are data indicating that there were people in the place where the fire originated, according to the newspaper.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
