Chile arrests ex-firefighter with 'hero' motive over deadly blaze / Photo: RODRIGO ARANGUA - AFP/File
NYSE - LSE
| RBGPF | 5.47% | 76 | $ | |
| CMSC | 0.04% | 23.06 | $ | |
| RYCEF | -0.07% | 14.34 | $ | |
| SCS | 0.5% | 15.96 | $ | |
| NGG | 0.31% | 71.23 | $ | |
| BCC | -1.67% | 80.74 | $ | |
| GSK | -0.24% | 37.71 | $ | |
| RIO | 0.45% | 62.14 | $ | |
| SCU | 0% | 12.72 | $ | |
| RELX | 0.08% | 48.04 | $ | |
| BP | -0.56% | 33.95 | $ | |
| BTI | 1.87% | 58.33 | $ | |
| CMSD | -0.04% | 23.571 | $ | |
| VOD | 1.3% | 11.51 | $ | |
| JRI | -0.34% | 13.39 | $ | |
| BCE | 0% | 24.35 | $ | |
| AZN | 0.72% | 74.07 | $ |
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.Wimmer--SbgTB
