President Gabriel Boric declared a state of emergency and pledged all available resources to combat the flames.

Many of the victims were visitors to the coastal region during the summer holidays.

The Chilean government has initiated emergency measures, urging people to refrain from traveling to the affected areas.

A health alert has been issued in Valparaíso by the health ministry, leading to the suspension of elective surgeries and the establishment of temporary field hospitals. Medicine students in the final stages of their studies will be enlisted to assist the strained health service.

Rescue services are grappling with difficulties reaching the worst-hit areas, and Interior Minister Carolina Tohá warned that the death toll could significantly increase in the coming hours.

Authorities have implemented a curfew in Viña del Mar, Limache, Quilpué, and Villa Alemana.

President Boric affirmed the government's commitment to addressing the crisis, deploying 1,400 firefighters and military personnel alongside emergency services.

Investigations into the cause of the fires are underway, as the government enforces a ban on the handling of fire and heat-producing machinery in Valparaíso and the adjacent Marga Marga region.

The coastal town of Valparaíso, situated 116 km from the capital Santiago, faces a dire situation, impacting between 3,000 and 6,000 houses, according to the housing ministry.

Last year's deadly wildfires in the Biobío and Ñuble regions, further south from Valparaíso, serve as a stark reminder of the increasing frequency and severity of such incidents.

As Chile mourns the lives lost in this devastating event, the nation grapples with the immediate challenges of rescue and recovery efforts amid the unfolding forest fire emergency. (ILKHA)