At least 18 people have died as ferocious wildfires gripped Southern Chile, burning homes and thousands of hectares of land, the authorities said Sunday.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric has declared a state of catastrophe in two regions where deadly wildfires are raging.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric declared a state of catastrophe in the country's central Biobio region and the neighbouring Ñuble region, around 500 kilometres south of Santiago, the capital.