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Chile declares catastrophe as extreme storm kills at least 10 people
A severe weather front linked to an El Niño episode swept across central and northern Chile, producing record‑breaking rain, strong winds, snow and flash floods. The storm has caused at least ten deaths, four missing persons, more than 2 200 injured or displaced and left over 100 000 people isolated in the regions of Atacama, Coquimbo and surrounding areas. The government declared a constitutional state of catastrophe for the Coquimbo region and the Huasco province in Atacama, activating military aid, emergency shelters and accelerated delivery of resources.
President José Antonio Kast and ministers have toured the hardest‑hit towns, promising air‑bridge supply drops, reconstruction of roads and bridges, and a special emergency‑roaming mobile service to keep communications alive. Local authorities distributed cash assistance ranging from 375 000 to 1.5 million Chilean pesos to families whose homes were damaged in Penco, deployed vaccination units in Rancagua Sur, and organized rescue teams in La Serena. Lundin Mining suspended operations at its high‑altitude Caserones mine in the Atacama region, while other mining sites continued processing using stockpiled ore. The storm’s impact on infrastructure prompted the demolition of a main bridge in Penco and extensive cleanup of streets and sewage systems across affected municipalities.