At least 14 Venezuelan migrants, including eight children, were killed after fire engulfed two houses in Coronel in southern Chile, according to local authorities.

"We regret to announce the death of 14 residents of our community. There are three families, eight minors, six adults who died as a result of this fire that destroyed their home," the Deputy Mayor of the city of Coronel Javier Valencia told journalists. 

"These are Venezuelan families," he said, adding that the fire's cause was unknown but that investigators were looking into whether a heating unit overheated.

(With input from AFP)