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 Pre-trial detention ordered for suspects in deadly Chile fire
Pre-trial detention ordered for suspects in deadly Chile fire
 by AFP Staff Writers
 Santiago (AFP) May 26, 2024

A Chilean court on Saturday ordered the pre-trial detention of two men accused of starting a massive fire earlier this year that left 137 people dead in the resort city of Vina del Mar.

Police had announced Friday the arrests of volunteer firefighter Ignacio Mondaca, 22, and forestry official Franco Pinto, who have been ordered held behind bars for six months.

"There was direct malice in causing the fire and, at least, eventual malice in the result of death," Magistrate Jeanette Oliva said in her ruling.

Several fires broke out simultaneously on February 2 around the coastal city of Vina del Mar located 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Chile's capital Santiago.

The inferno, the second deadliest in the world this century, was fueled by winds and a heatwave that saw temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Materials used to start the fire were found in the house of one of the suspects, authorities have said. Investigators were also probing potential links to other arson incidents.

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Chile arrests firefighter, official accused in blaze that killed 137
 Santiago (AFP) May 25, 2024
 A firefighter and a forestry official were arrested in Chile Friday on suspicion of starting a blaze that killed 137 people in the resort city of Vina del Mar in February, authorities said. "An arrest warrant was issued today against the person who started the fires in February in the Valparaiso region," where Vina del Mar is located, police director Eduardo Cerna told a news conference. A little later, the Valparaiso regional prosecutor's office confirmed the arrest of a second suspect, an offi ... read more
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