A fire in the Chilean port city of Valparaiso on Sunday has killed at least 11 people and destroyed more than 500 homes, according to Reuters.
Almost 10,000 people were evacuated from the city, including more than 200 female inmates at a prison, leaving shelters extremely crowded, Reuters reported.
The blaze began Saturday afternoon above the ramshackle housing on one of the city's 42 hilltops, according to Reuters.
As the fire spread throughout the narrow streets, the electricity in the city went out and six hilltops were reduced to ashes, including one hill just several blocks from Chile's parliament building, Reuters reported.
The fire has destroyed more than 500 houses so far and authorities warned that the toll of death and damage could rise once authorities can enter the smoldering remains, according to Reuters.
Military Police Gen. Julio Pineda said 11 people were killed instead of the initial death toll of 16, Reuters reported. More than 500 people were treated at hospitals for smoke inhalation and other minor injuries.
Valparaiso was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003 and is known for colorful neighborhoods in steep hills sitting about 75 miles northwest of Santiago, the capital of Chile, according to Reuters.
The area where the fire occurred is densely populated without water supplies or streets wide enough for fire trucks, Reuters reported.
"This is the worst catastrophe I've seen," said Ricardo Bravo, the regional governor, according to Reuters. "Now we have to make sure the fire doesn't reach the city center, which would make this emergency much more serious."
"It is still not completely extinguished," Bravo added, referring to lingering pockets of fire still burning in higher parts of the city, Reuters reported.
While 1,250 firefighters, police and forest rangers battled the blaze, 2,000 Chilean sailors in combat gear patrolled streets to maintain order and prevent looting, Reuters reported.
