Chile floods spark land developer probe and cause deaths in El Carmen

Heavy rains associated with a frontal system have caused severe flooding and landslides in Chilean towns. In Cruz de Cañas, a resident who moved there in 2018 alleges that developers filled ancient ravines before selling plots, hiding the area's flood history. He says, “When we arrived we did not see the water channels… we never imagined that water ran there,” and calls for an investigation, though no official confirmation of the alleged work exists.

In the neighbouring commune of El Carmen, Mayor Renán Cabezas reported rising river levels, road closures, a bridge collapse that isolated three families, and the death of a person found in a parked van, preliminarily linked to hypothermia. More than 60 social cases have been recorded, with several families seeking emergency housing. The municipal authorities continue to monitor the situation, and SENAPRED has maintained a yellow alert for the Diguillín River.