Intense wildfires in central Chile have left

Firefighters battled dozens of forest fires in central Chile on Saturday, with the blazes having left at least 46 people dead so far, President Gabriel Boric said.

More than 1,000 homes were destroyed, according to the government. Boric warned the death toll is likely to rise.

“Given the conditions of the tragedy, the number of victims is sure to increase over the next few hours,” Boric said. “The situation is really very difficult.”

than 40 dead. President Gabriel Boric described the blazes as a “really very difficult” situation.