Flood in Chile, roads like rivers of mud: a state of catastrophe declared

Heavy rains hit Chile, aggravated by the El Niño phenomenon. The president of the country, José Antonio Kast, has declared the district of Las Condes, in Santiago, a "disaster zone". An unusual mudslide hit the streets of the residential neighborhood - renowned for its luxury hotels and lively restaurant scene - causing at least six injuries.

According to what the authorities report, the strong disturbance has already caused the death of a homeless man in the town of San Bernardo who had taken refuge in a completely flooded underpass.

Mudslide invades the streets of Las Condes

The municipality, located in the metropolitan region of the Chilean capital, was particularly affected by the bad weather. A torrent of water and mud swept away dozens of vehicles, which were then trapped in the mud and debris, as demonstrated by various videos broadcast on social media. In the meantime, the government has decreed a red alert in ten municipalities of Santiago, all located on the slopes of the Andes, as reported by the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred).

14 thousand families without electricity, one homeless person died

The bad weather caused the interruption of electricity in at least 14 thousand users in the metropolitan area. Chile's national disaster prevention and response service (Senapred) has issued an evacuation order for some locations in the metropolitan area of ​​Santiago de Chile after the Mapocho river flooded following heavy rains in the last few hours. Around 150 families from the municipality of Talagante, it is reported, were forced to abandon their homes after receiving a text alert from Senapred, while a family of seven people (five adults and two children) were evacuated by a prefectural helicopter.