This week the inhabitants of the area affected by the forest fires in the Chilean region of Valparaíso began to work on the reconstruction of the houses they lost in the fire that has so far claimed the lives of 132 people in the country, turning it into a of the worst catastrophes in Chile in recent years, after the earthquake and tsunami of 2010.
To cushion the pain, the local government of Viña del Mar has created an assistance center where victims can obtain everything from clothing to veterinary services while reconstruction works are carried out.
The Chilean government declared that more than 7,100 houses must be rebuilt and estimates that the total cost of these works will be around $742 billion and could take around five years if work is carried out at a normal pace.
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