'State of catastrophe' in Chile as wildfires rage, killing at least 18

At least 18 people have been killed and 50,000 people have fled to safety after wildfires, as a "state of catastrophe" was declared in Chile.

Firefighters were battling 24 different fires across the country on Sunday, with the worst burning in the Nuble and Bio Bio regions, where the government declared an emergency. The regions are around 500km (310 miles) south of the capital Santiago.

"In light of ‌the serious ongoing wildfires, I have decided to declare a state of ‌catastrophe in the regions of Nuble and Bio Bío. All resources are available," posted Chilean President Gabriel Boric on X.

But local officials reported that for hours on Sunday, destruction was everywhere and help from the federal government was nowhere. "Dear President Boric, from the bottom of my heart, I have been here for four hours, a community is burning and there is no (government) presence," said Rodrigo Vera, the mayor of the small coastal town of Penco in the Biobio region.

"How can a minister do nothing but call me to tell me that the military is going to arrive at some point?" Evacuation efforts saw 50,000 people leaving their homes as more than 300 properties were destroyed, according to Chilean authorities. Almost 33 square miles are already burned, with multiple communities affected.

Strong winds and unusually high temperatures are making the situation worse, authorities say. Some residents said that the fires took them by surprise after midnight on Saturday, trapping them in their homes.

"Many people didn't evacuate. They stayed in their houses because they thought the fire would stop at the edge of the forest," said John Guzman, 55, surveying the scene in Penco.

"It was completely out of control. No one expected it." Read more news from around the world:US 'wants countries to pay $1bn to stay on Gaza peace board''Experienced terrorist' killed by US strikes in Syria Much of Chile is under extreme heat alerts, with temperatures expected to reach up to 38C (100F) from Santiago to Bío Bío on Monday.

Since the beginning of year, both Chile and Argentina have experienced extreme temperatures and heatwaves, with devastating wildfires in Argentina's Patagonia earlier this month..