Pinera issues warning in Chile fires
- 12 years ago
PLEASE NOTE: EDITS CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL
Dozens of fires raging across southern Chile since last week have destroyed over 100 homes and killed one elderly man.
Over 10,000 hectares have been destroyed mostly in the Bio Bio region.
A 23 year old Israeli tourist, Rotem Zinger was arrested on Saturday suspected of accidentally starting a fire in Torres del Paine National Park.
Police said he had admitted to starting an illegal bonfire.
The country's president toured an affected area and issued a strong warning, as the search for other suspects continued.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CHILEAN PRESIDENT SEBASTIAN PINERA SAYING:
"I want to assure the people who are so bad, so perverse that they do not shake before anything and who voluntarily started these fires and caused all this damage: we are going to prosecute you with all the force of the world and apply all the weight of the law."
Over 500 firefighters from Chile and Argentina are battling to control the blazes.
Marie-Claire Fennessy, Reuters
Dozens of fires raging across southern Chile since last week have destroyed over 100 homes and killed one elderly man.
Over 10,000 hectares have been destroyed mostly in the Bio Bio region.
A 23 year old Israeli tourist, Rotem Zinger was arrested on Saturday suspected of accidentally starting a fire in Torres del Paine National Park.
Police said he had admitted to starting an illegal bonfire.
The country's president toured an affected area and issued a strong warning, as the search for other suspects continued.
(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) CHILEAN PRESIDENT SEBASTIAN PINERA SAYING:
"I want to assure the people who are so bad, so perverse that they do not shake before anything and who voluntarily started these fires and caused all this damage: we are going to prosecute you with all the force of the world and apply all the weight of the law."
Over 500 firefighters from Chile and Argentina are battling to control the blazes.
Marie-Claire Fennessy, Reuters