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The death toll from severe storms in Chile has risen to 13, with seven people still missing and more than 60,000 residents isolated after heavy rains washed away roads and destroyed homes.
“We have 13 dead and seven missing,” Alicia Cebrian, National emergency service director, said.
The storms, which struck the usually arid regions of Coquimbo and Atacama, have destroyed about 2,800 homes, while flooded rivers, mudslides and damaged roads have cut off several communities.
Residents described the devastation as unprecedented. Patricia Albornoz, a community leader in Coquimbo, said she had never witnessed an emergency of such magnitude in her 57 years.
Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado said weather conditions were expected to improve, but warned that swollen rivers and ravines continued to pose significant risks.
President Jose Antonio Kast declared a state of emergency in the affected areas on Monday to facilitate relief efforts and speed up the restoration of essential services.
