Chile Declares State of Emergency as Deadly Floods Ravage Northern Regions
Severe storms in Chile have claimed at least 10 lives and left four people missing, as heavy rains triggered river overflows, forced mass evacuations, and severed access to thousands of residents....
Severe storms in Chile have claimed at least 10 lives and left four people missing, as heavy rains triggered river overflows, forced mass evacuations, and severed access to thousands of residents.
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Crisis in the North
The Coquimbo and Atacama regions have suffered the most significant damage. Alicia Cebrian, head of emergency services, confirmed that 10 people have died and four remain missing. Over 2,400 people have been affected, with more than 100,000 currently cut off from the outside world due to flooding.
Emergency Rescue Operations
In rural Coquimbo, the military deployed heavy machinery to rescue individuals trapped by the rising waters. Helicopters were utilized to evacuate residents from the rooftops of submerged homes. Governor Cristobal Julia described entire districts buried under mud and water, noting that many citizens have lost their homes and entire livelihoods.
State of Emergency and Infrastructure Collapse
President Jose Antonio Kast declared a state of emergency for the Coquimbo region and Huasco province. Interior Undersecretary Maximo Pavez noted the exceptional scale of the destruction, citing that more rain fell in a single hour on Sunday than is typical for the entire month.
The intense storms have severely disrupted essential services, leaving many towns without electricity or potable water. According to the Ministry of Energy, approximately 150,000 customers across the country remain without power.