IN PICS| Chile wildfires kill at least 51 in 'unprecedented catastrophe'

92 forest fires were burning in the center and south of Chile, where temperatures have been unusually high this week.

Wildfires blazing across Chile have killed at least 51 people, leaving bodies in the street and homes gutted, with flames continuing to spread on Sunday and the toll expected to rise. (Photo | AP)

President Gabriel Boric has decreed a state of emergency in the central and southern parts of the country "due to catastrophe," as dry conditions and temperatures soaring to 40 degrees Celsius exacerbated the crisis.

Dense gray smoke blanketed the city of Vina del Mar of the Valparaiso tourist region, along central Chile's coastline, forcing residents to flee.

The death toll rose to 51 on Saturday as firefighters battled to control the flames. The forensic medical service had previously reported 45 deaths, but "there are six more people who died in health care facilities," according to interior under-secretary Manuel Monsalve.

Interior Minister Carolina Toha said there had been 92 fires, with 43,000 hectares (106,000 acres) burned across the country.

A helicopter flies over a forest fire that has spread to Vina del Mar, Chile.

In the hillsides around the coastal city of Vina del Mar, entire blocks of houses were burned out overnight

The fires are being driven by a summer heatwave and drought affecting the southern part of South America caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, as scientists warn that a warming planet has increased the risk of natural disasters such as intense heat and fires.