Chile arrests ex-firefighter with 'hero' motive over deadly blaze / Photo: RODRIGO ARANGUA - AFP/File
NYSE - LSE
| RBGPF | 6.26% | 67.21 | $ | |
| NGG | -0.24% | 71.475 | $ | |
| SCS | 2.85% | 10.16 | $ | |
| CMSC | 0.63% | 22.17 | $ | |
| RIO | 2.21% | 59.874 | $ | |
| RYCEF | 1.26% | 10.35 | $ | |
| RELX | 1.59% | 54.955 | $ | |
| BCC | 3.43% | 96 | $ | |
| CMSD | 0.41% | 22.351 | $ | |
| BTI | -0.58% | 43.05 | $ | |
| JRI | 0.08% | 13.02 | $ | |
| GSK | -0.02% | 38.741 | $ | |
| BCE | -1.32% | 21.16 | $ | |
| AZN | 2.41% | 72.25 | $ | |
| BP | 0.34% | 27.975 | $ | |
| VOD | -1.09% | 9.625 | $ |
Chile arrests ex-firefighter with 'hero' motive over deadly blaze
Chilean police on Monday arrested a former fireman for allegedly contributing to a massive blaze that killed 137 people and destroyed thousands of homes in February because he wanted to be a "hero" by helping put it out.
The arrest of Elias Salazar, 39, adds to those of another volunteer firefighter and a forestry official suspected of involvement in the second deadliest inferno recorded in the world this century.
Several fires broke out simultaneously on February 2 around the coastal city of Vina del Mar, some 70 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Chile's capital Santiago.
The inferno was fueled by winds and a heat wave that saw temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).
Authorities had said from the start that the fires were likely set intentionally.
Salazar was once a volunteer firefighter and until his arrest an employee of the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (Senapred).
Valparaiso police official Guillermo Galvez said Monday Salazar is accused as a "material author" in the events and for allegedly setting at least one of the fires.
About the motivation, Galvez said Salazar "likes to be a hero, participating and helping in emergencies."
He will appear in court on Tuesday charged with arson.
The other two suspects have been ordered held in pre-trial detention for six months.
P.Mancini--GdR
