Chilean justice issued pretrial detention for the perpetrators of the Valparaiso fire, which left more than 130 dead

A Chilean court ruled on Saturday Preventive prison to Volunteer firefighter and former sheriff He is accused of planning and generating the massive fire that devastated the area Valparaiso At the beginning of February, she left 137 dead and 16 thousand injured.

he Valparaiso Surety Court It granted the prosecutor's request for prison time for the two defendants arrested Friday afternoon: a volunteer from the Valparaiso Fire Department and a former brigadier general from the Valparaiso Fire Department. National Forest Foundation (Konav). He ruled for 180 days of investigation into the case.

“Today two people have been formalized as the perpetrators of the major fire“Which caused a large number of deaths and many material damages,” the public prosecutor responsible for the fires explained to the media, Osvaldo Osandon. He explained that in the case of the main detainee, Francisco Mundakaa 22-year-old volunteer firefighter, found flares and fireworks in his car.

We have information that they agreed “in advance to carry out behavior of this type when the weather conditions” were appropriate for a fire of such proportions, said the regional prosecutor of Valparaiso. Claudia Perivancic.

The prosecution has currently ruled out any evidence indicating this Psychological conditions Associated with pyromania in both subjects and referred to A Economic motivation To start the fire, according to Mundaka’s statement, which confirms that the other accused, Franco PintoI told you about the greater benefit of having multiple fires to ensure work.

Pinto was going to show Mundaka how to build a fire so that the fire would burn and be successful.

Mundaka will be charged with The physical author of the events And I draw like Intellectual author.

The case is still under investigation and it is not ruled out that more people will be involved.

Through photographs and eavesdropping, the specialized investigative police unit was able to determine this Mundaka was the one who started the fire.

“Although this is very shocking, it is good newsThis was stated by the Minister of the Interior, today, Saturday: Carolina Toha. “Finding them and facing justice is reparation” for the victims. He added that it would be necessary to strengthen mechanisms for monitoring the file of those entering these institutions.

For its part, the Fire Department served as General Director Conaf They expressed their regret for the events, which they described as isolated, and stated that they would strengthen their entry operations to prevent something like this from happening again.

“We are very upset about the situationValparaiso Fire Department Chief said, Vicente Maggiolo.

Maggiolo asked that this fact not distort the historical work of the Foundation. “We've been saving lives for over 170 yearsHe said in statements to the channel: TVN.

For his part, he said: CONAF Executive Director, Christian LittleHe said that he was surprised and described the matter as “painful” affecting the institution and its employees, with the involvement of one of its former officials – who had worked at the institution for 10 years during the fire season – in this incident.

The huge fire that also left more than 10,000 homes were destroyedstarted last February 2 in Peñuelas Lake Nature Reservein the central region of Chile, for several days burned various municipalities in what was already considered The worst tragedy in the country Since the 8.8 magnitude earthquake on February 27, 2010, which left more than 500 dead.

(AP)