Chile’s northern regions have recently been hit by severe mudslides triggered by extreme heavy rain, causing a large number of homes and vehicles to be covered by mud and sludge. Road traffic has also been affected, with some areas declaring a state of emergency.
According to media reports, influenced by the El Niño phenomenon, since mid-August, violent heavy rain has been falling in northern Chile, leading to flash floods and mudslides in multiple areas.
The most severely affected areas are mainly concentrated in the Atacama and Antofagasta regions. The province of Tocopilla in the Antofagasta region has been hit the hardest, with numerous vehicles being washed away by the floodwaters. The streets and residential areas are filled with muddy waters of a yellowish hue. About sixty percent of the houses in the coastal city of Tocopilla have been damaged, and some areas are facing risks of power outages and traffic disruptions.
The director of the Chilean National Emergency Prevention and Response Bureau (SENAPRED), Alicia Cebrián López, confirmed that a driver in the Antofagasta region was killed in a car accident caused by falling rocks while driving, with four passengers on board injured.
Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast visited the disaster area to inspect the situation and declared the province of Tocopilla in a state of emergency.
Although meteorological forecasts predict that rainfall will gradually ease, the disaster area still faces extremely high risks of secondary mudslides and landslides due to continuous waterlogging.