Santiago de Chile, April 16 (RHC) – Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said on Tuesday that her government will be appointing three delegates to deal with the recent disasters that hit the South American nation. The announcement came as her administration announced that at least 3,500 houses have been destroyed and as many as 11,000 people have been displaced by the blaze roaring in the Valparaiso hills.

Bachelet said that one delegate will deal with the current fire emergency in Valparaiso, a coastal city 64 miles (102 kilometers) west of the capital city of Santiago de Chile, and the other two with the two northern cities of Arica and Iquique, which were hit by earthquakes earlier this month.

Since the Austral winter is around the corner, the reconstruction of Valparaiso and containing the fire remains Bachelet’s first priority. She assured the residents of Valparaiso that they “will return to their normal lives as soon as nmext Monday, and schools will re-open on Monday for students.”

The fire started in the hilltops of surrounding the coastal city of Valparaiso on Saturday, April 12th. Since then, the fire has continued to leap to populated areas of Valparaiso. According to the Chilean media, as many as 14 people have been died so far as a result of the fire.