South American regions face earthquake damage and severe winter weather

Severe weather and seismic activity have caused widespread transportation disruptions across South America.

In Colombia, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake centered in Chocó has resulted in at least 132 deaths and nearly 600 injuries. The tremor caused significant damage to infrastructure, leading to landslides and the closure of multiple strategic road corridors in the departments of Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, Quindío, and Caldas. Authorities are currently inspecting tunnels and bridges for structural integrity.

Simultaneously, heavy winter weather is impacting Argentina and Chile. In Argentina, snow, ice, and whiteout conditions have forced the preventive closure of National Route 40 between Bariloche and El Bolsón, as well as several routes in Mendoza, including Route 222, which saw 90 tourists stranded due to ice and a multi-vehicle accident. In the Neuquén region, intense snowfall has suspended international transit to Chile, leaving approximately 1,500 trucks waiting at border crossings.

In Chile, the El Loa province has implemented preventive road closures on several mountain routes due to an incoming weather front, amid concerns regarding rising river levels and potential precipitation risks.