SANTIAGO: Thirteen people have died in south-central Chile amid forest fires raging through several regions, disaster management authority Senapred informed.

"A total of 13 people have died as a result of forest fires in the Biobio, Nuble and La Araucania regions," Senapred said in a statement Friday, reported Sputnik.

A 37-year-old female firefighter, as well as the pilot and the mechanic of a helicopter that was battling a fire in the village of Galvarino, are among the dead.

There are currently 178 wildfires raging in Chile, covering about 8,000 hectares of land.

-- BERNAMA