Weather authorities in Chile warn of heavy rains in the center of the country

Published at: 13/06/2024 08:57 PM

The Chilean Meteorological Directorate (DMC), issued this Thursday, June 13, the highest level of alert to the population due to the intense rains that hit the central area of the country.

The alarm affects the regions of Coquimbo, in the north; Valparaíso and Metropolitana, in the center and O'Higgins, Ñuble and Biobío, in the south, the Telesur website reported.

The Deputy Minister of Interior and Security, Manuel Monsalve, said that “there is no record that this type of alert has been issued for the Metropolitan Region.”

Monsalve announced that classes are suspended throughout the capital, where almost half of the Chilean population of 20 million inhabitants lives, as well as in the regions of O'Higgins, Coquimbo, Valparaíso and Biobío.

Since the early hours of this day, more than 20,000 homes have been without electricity in the municipalities of Isla de Maipo, Melipilla and Padre Hurtado; dozens of basements are flooded in the center of the capital, some level crossings blocked, several tunnels disabled and numerous traffic lights turned off.

In the Biobío region, one of the most affected, the authorities declared a state of catastrophe due to the overflow of rivers and the flooding of streets, and ordered the evacuation of more than 5,000 people.

The residents of the area reported that the origins of the current situation are linked, in addition to climate change and rains, to the extractive economic system, since most of the land belongs to large logging companies and there are hardly any building areas beyond the riverbeds.

This weekend's rains caused a 15-meter-long and 30-meter-deep collapse in the ground in Viña del Mar under a 12-story building with 200 apartments that is in danger of collapsing.

On the other hand, the President of Chile, Gabriel Boric, urged citizens, from Germany, to follow the recommendations of the emergency services and to respect the state of climate alert.

Boric stated that “the responsibility that we do not have fatalities, that the effects are as minor as possible, is shared. From the State, we have to fulfill our role, but it is also important that families and individuals who receive alerts comply with the instructions of the authorities. This is key to saving lives.”

Mazo News Team