A large part of the circuit infrastructure at the Termas De Rio Hondo MotoGP track was destroyed by fire last night.
According to local media, the fire started in garage 23 and then spread to the VIP boxes and media centre.
The flames, which were large at first and could be seen for miles around, were powered by the wind in the area, which complicated the situation.
Two teams from the Volunteer Firefighters of this Santiago city moved to the site, working with the collaboration of others from Capital.
"Unfortunately the entire pit building was destroyed by the fire that occurred in the last hours at the racetrack, that sector also included the press rooms, Race Control and VIP lounges," said circuit director Hector Farina.
"Both the museum and the control tower at the ends, along with other offices, mini-hospitals, etc., had no significant damage. The Automobile Museum will reopen to the public in the next few days.
"The racetrack has full insurance against fire, so the issue of economic damage is covered in that sense, but it will surely take a long time to rebuild this important area necessary for national and international competitions.
"Thank God, there were no victims to mourn, and we want to thank all those who collaborated in this incident that generated moments of great danger due to the wind that ran.
"Many thanks to various Fire Department staff, police officers, municipal staff, racetrack workers, etc. They did everything they could to prevent further damage. We will work from now on to do everything possible to meet the schedules we have planned, including the Moto GP in November."
More follows
