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[SITUATION] · [ACTIVE]

5 clusters · 80 sources · 7 days · First seen 8 days ago · Last updated 2 days ago

Categories: BUSINESS · INTERNATIONAL · HEALTH

Andes snowstorm traps trucks, forces evacuations

Entities: Cristo Redentor border crossing · El Calafate · Rio Tinto · Chilean Army Aviation · Gendarmería Nacional

Overview

The mid‑July 2026 Andes snowstorm remains a major emergency across Argentina and Chile. Continued heavy snowfall has isolated mountain communities, closed high‑altitude passes and triggered avalanches. In Argentina, Gendarmería Nacional’s high‑mountain units have rescued six people, including a family of five in Calingasta and a puestero in Jáchal, and evacuated a family with a four‑month‑old infant in Mendoza. Guanacos have descended onto San Juan roads, prompting traffic alerts. In the Patagonian south, El Calafate recorded a historic –17.6 °C low, reinforcing avalanche warnings.

The storm has also immobilised roughly 1,500 truck convoys at the Cristo Redentor border crossing, creating a logistical bottleneck between the two countries. In Chile, the Army Aviation evacuated a newborn and her parents from the isolated Talhuén settlement.

A separate incident in Catamarca’s Puna left fourteen Rio Tinto workers and contractors trapped for more than 100 hours in –15 °C conditions, prompting a government investigation that continues alongside coordinated rescue and civil‑protection efforts.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[● 12 SOURCES] Heavy snowfall in the Andes caused road closures and isolated communities in Argentina and Chile. (belongs)
[● 4 SOURCES] An avalanche trapped a family of five in Calingasta, San Juan, Argentina. (belongs)
[● 2 SOURCES] Approximately 1,500 trucks were stranded at the Cristo Redentor border crossing due to snow. (belongs)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Fourteen Rio Tinto employees and contractors were stranded for up to 100 hours in Catamarca during a polar storm. (belongs)
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Chilean Army Aviation evacuated a newborn and her family from Talhuén by helicopter. (belongs)
[○ 1 SOURCE] A record low temperature of –17.6 °C was recorded in El Calafate, Patagonia. (belongs)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Guanacos descended onto roads in San Juan seeking lower ground during the snowstorm. (belongs)

Timeline

2 days ago

[BUSINESS] 2 sources
Rio Tinto miners rescued after three days trapped in Catamarca snowstorm
Four Rio Tinto miners were rescued after three days trapped in a -27 °C snowstorm in Catamarca, Argentina, prompting criticism of safety lapses and calls for better winter protocols.
2 days ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 13 sources
Andean snowstorm strands trucks, traps families and forces evacuations in Argentina
Andean snowstorm isolates Argentine Andes, traps a family, strands Rio Tinto workers, blocks 1,500 trucks at Cristo Redentor, and forces multiple rescues.
5 days ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 50 sources
Four Argentine Miners Rescued After Three Nights in Catamarca Snowstorm
Four miners survived a three‑day entrapment in a Catamarca snowstorm, rescued after using a satellite phone; ~60 responders overcame –30 °C winds, prompting calls for a safety‑protocol review.
5 days ago

[HEALTH] 3 sources
Couple rescued after 44 hours trapped in sub‑zero Patagonian snowstorm
José Guillermo Bilbao and Noelia Gissella Siares survived 44 hours trapped in a snow‑blocked truck on Santa Cruz’s Route 43, rescued early Monday; temperatures hit –22 °C, rescue involved provincial and federal
8 days ago

[INTERNATIONAL] 21 sources
Mendoza snowstorm rescue operation saves 30 people in high mountains
A historic snowstorm in Mendoza's high mountains left >3 m of snow, prompting rescue teams to evacuate 30 people from isolated spots along Route 7; travel remains prohibited as conditions persist.

Sources

2001online.com · acontecercalchaqui.com.ar · airevision.com.ar · alertas24.com · canal13sanjuan.com · canalabierto.com.ar · caraotadigital.net · cincoradio.com.mx · contrapunto.com · cuarto.com.ar · cuestionentrerriana.com.ar · datanews.com.ar · diarioelcentro.cl · diarioelheraldo.cl · diarioelranco.cl · diarioelzondasj.com.ar · diarioextra.com · diariolaprovinciasj.com · diariondi.com · diariopanorama.com · diariosanrafael.com.ar · elciudadanoweb.com · elclarinweb.com · eldiario.com · eldiario.com.ar · eldiario24.com · elinformadorchile.cl · elnuevodiario.com.do · elperiodicodemonagas.com.ve · elperiscopio.cl · elpinguino.com · elrancaguino.cl · elreferente.cl · elsol.com.ar · elsolonline.com · enlalinea.cl · entornointeligente.com · epanews.cl · escambray.cu · estacionclaridad.com.ar · extra.ec · fronteranorte.cl · g5noticias.cl · hindi.newslaundry.com · hoy.com.do · ilustrado.cl · inforama.com.ar · labandadiario.com.ar

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history