22 dead in Chile as firefighters battle dozens of wildfires

Chile extended its state of emergency to other regions on Saturday.At least 22 people have been killed and 554 injured, including 16 in critical condition, in connection with the fires, Interior Minister Carolina Tohá said.

The death toll is likely to rise as Toha said there were unconfirmed reports of at least 10 people missing.

The government on Saturday declared a state of catastrophe in the La Araucania region, south of Nubre and Biobio, two regions in the central south where a state of emergency was declared, allowing greater cooperation with the military.

Fires erupt during periods of record high temperatures.

16 people died in Biobio, 5 in La Araucania and 1 in Nuble.

The fatalities included a Bolivian pilot who died when a helicopter that was helping fight the blaze crashed in La Araucania. A Chilean mechanic also died in the crash.

Tohá said at a press conference that the past week has seen a range of fires equivalent to the range that would normally burn out in a year.