Prince Harry has visited a Chilean shanty town community whose homes were destroyed by devastating wildfires - and fixed a family’s television.
Thousands were left homeless and 15 people were killed when the flames struck in and around the port of Valparaiso in April.
Fire fighters spent two days battling the wildfires but hardest hit were the slum dwellers living in shacks built on steep hills overlooking the city.
Harry was welcomed into the temporary home of three families living in a small hilltop community called El Vergel, where almost all the wooden properties were destroyed leaving 100 families homeless.
His visit lifted the mood of the residents who were gearing up to watch Chile take on Brazil in the World Cup match.
The charity Techo is helping the villagers to build new homes out of chipboard and corrugated iron, and inside one of the shacks, home to Coca Perez, 50, and her teenage son and daughter, the Prince noticed their television was not working properly.
Mrs Perez said: “He looked at it and he started to fiddle with the cable.
“He managed to get it working so we could watch Chile playing Brazil. Now I can tell everyone that Prince Harry is my TV repair man.”
Harry also visited Carolina Guzman, 33, who later became emotional and wiped away a few tears as she recounted the day the fire swept through her community.
She had chatted with Harry for 10 minutes in her cramped two-room home with her son Gerald Perez, aged seven.
She said: “My husband was on another hill and I phone him and said ’should I leave?’
“But he said ’no, don’t worry, the fire is on the other side’.”
But the flames arrived at the settlement and she had to shout for help to move her father-in-law who is bedridden.
She said: “I yelled and four of my neighbours came to help move him out. When my husband arrived our home was burning and he tried to put out the flames on our son’s bed but we had to leave.
“I feel really moved to have met Harry and thankful and happy. I feel like crying.”
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