SANTIAGO, Feb 3, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - At least 19 people have died in forest fires raging near Chile's coast, Interior Minister Carolina Toha said Saturday, warning the toll was likely to climb higher.

Fifteen of the 19 victims "have already been identified," Toha said Saturday morning, adding that there were 92 active fires, with 43,000 hectares (106,000 acres) burned across the country.