Fire in Chile's Historic Valparais

A weekend fire has swept through the historic port of Valparaiso in Chile, destroying several buildings of historical importance.

Authorities in Chile believe that the fire was the result of a gas leak. Several residents claimed that they could smell gas in the air for several hours before the fire began.

Three people have died and six are missing.

Valparaiso is a port city in Chile that is classified as a UNESCO world heritage site. It also has the honor, or perhaps the dishonor, of being the birth place of former dictator Augusto Pinochet.

The Valparaiso fire was not the only one to strike over the weekend. A fire also killed 10 foreign tourists, consisting mainly of Germans and Argentineans, who were staying at the Blue House hostel in the southern city of Punta Arenas. The fire was believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.

Several hostel guests survived the blaze after jumping from upper-storey windows.