Chile fire killed two people helped by KCK agency Unbound

Among those killed when fire destroyed hundreds of homes in South America were two elderly people sponsored by Unbound, a Kansas City, Kan., relief agency.

The two were an 85-year-old woman and an 81-year-old man. They were among 400 sponsored individuals who live in or near Valparaiso, Chile, and were affected by the blaze, according to Loretta Kline, who is with the agency.

A forest fire started Saturday nearbyand quickly spread into the port city, leaving at least 12 people dead.

Kline said the agency did not have specific information on how the two were killed. Communications between Kansas City and Chile has been difficult because the fire affected a wide area. The two victims were sponsored by individuals from New York and Michigan. Through the sponsorship program, elderly clients receive assistance with medical care, food and other basic essentials, she said.

Unbound was formerly called the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. It was launched in 1981 and provides one-on-one sponsorships of children and elderly people in 21 developing countries.

This story was originally published April 14, 2014 at 6:32 PM with the headline "Chile fire killed two people helped by KCK agency Unbound."