Bogota: Colombia has declared a state of emergency in two districts after dozens of forest fires swept throughout the country, leaving the capital suffocating on smoke during record temperatures caused by the El Nino weather phenomena.
Colombia has already extinguished hundreds of fires this month, but 25 are still burning, according to statistics released by the National Disaster Risk Management Unit (UNGRD) on Wednesday.
In the counties of Santander and Cundinamarca — where the capital Bogota is located — the fires have burnt around 600 hectares (1,483 acres) of forest and states of emergency were proclaimed.
Colombia has declared a state of emergency in two districts after dozens of forest fires swept throughout the country, leaving the capital suffocating on smoke during record temperatures caused by the El Nino weather phenomena.
Colombia has already extinguished hundreds of fires this month, but 25 are still burning, according to statistics released by the National Disaster Risk Management Unit (UNGRD) on Wednesday.
The fires in the departments of Santander and Cundinamarca, which include the capital Bogota, have burnt approximately 600 hectares (1,483 acres) of forest, prompting the declaration of states of emergency.
President Gustavo Petro stated that global warming was exacerbating El Nino weather, which is often associated with rising temperatures around the world, drought in some areas, and heavy rainfall in others.
“This may be the hottest year in the history of mankind,” he warned, urging “every mayor, governor, and national government” to prioritize water supplies.
Nine towns in Colombia’s north, center, and east set records on Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 40.4 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit).
