Americas News
Six killed, two missing in Chilean wildfires
Jan 6, 2012, 3:12 GMT
Santiago - Six volunteer fire fighters were killed and two more were missing late Thursday after tackling a large wildfire in the southern Chilean region of Biobio.
President Sebastian Pinera said 'reliable information' had given the authorities reason to suspect arson. He said anyone found to be responsible would be prosecuted.
Unconfirmed Chilean media reports blamed the fires on workers who were sacked by logging companies in the area.
The fire fighters were caught in the flames when the wind changed suddenly.
Flames have ravaged around 30,000 hectares in Biobio since the beginning of the southern hemisphere summer, along with 8,000 hectares in the Maule region just to the north.
Another 15,000 hectares have been lost to fire in the Torres del Paine national park in the southern region of Magallanes, one of Chile's main tourist attractions.
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