A sudden surge of water and debris swept through the affluent Santiago district of Las Condes on Thursday, dragging vehicles, damaging homes and snarling traffic as heavy rain battered Chile’s capital.
The flooding is the latest in a series of weather-related disruptions to hit Chile in recent months, including storms that have affected mining operations in the north. It comes as extreme weather events elsewhere around the world have disrupted communities, infrastructure and commodity supply chains.
The emergency in Santiago began around General Blanche and San Carlos de Apoquindo after a ravine flooded during an intense downpour, according to local reports. Preliminary information pointed to an overflow from a canal.
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Images carried by local media showed torrents of muddy water carrying rocks, trees and vehicles through the streets. A public-transit bus was overturned by the force of the flow, while some residents reported water entering their homes. Flooding and road closures also caused traffic snarls in parts of the city, while students were stranded at schools in the area. Authorities urged residents to stay home as light rain continued to fall.
The incident came after days of unusually heavy rainfall in Santiago. Las Condes had already reported flooding and debris flows around Quebrada Honda earlier in the week, while other parts of the Metropolitan Region experienced inundated streets, power outages and rising river levels.
There were no immediately confirmed reports of deaths or injuries from Thursday’s Las Condes incident. Authorities were still assessing the extent of the damage.
Estamos enfrentando una emergencia de activación muy rápida en Las Condes con grave afectación a vehículos y viviendas en algunas calles producto de un aluvión de agua y barro. El Delegado ya está en terreno y el Ministro De Grange, el Subdere Figueroa y los distintos equipos del…
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