Moved by the tragedy, Bachelet vows to offer aid to Valparaíso

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SANTIAGO.- President Michelle Bachelet seemed moved by yesterday's tragedy in Valparaíso after a fire that began in a ravine on the hill of La Cruz destroyed 70 homes.

Bachelet sent all of those affected in Valparaíso her "voice of encouragement and a promise to make sure all necessary measures are quickly taken to reconstruct the homes".

The Chief of State added that, if necessary, she would transfer those most affected to safer places in order to avoid taking unnecessary risks.

Bachelet assured that she has been in "constant contact" with regional authorities, as well as with Minister of Interior Edmundo Pérez Yoma and the ministry's undersecretary, Felipe Harboe, who traveled to Valparáiso yesterday to experience the magnitude of the tragedy first-hand.

Bachelet also mentioned that the Minister of Health, Soledad Barría, and the Minister of Housing, Patricia Poblete, will make a trip to the Fifth Region today to "put all required emergency measures into action".