The violent storm sweeping through Chile has left at least 13 dead, according to a new report published Tuesday by the government of the country where more than 60,000 people remain isolated due to cut roads.
• Also read: Chile: one dead and thousands affected after intense rains
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This storm, which began on July 15, particularly affects the northern regions of Coquimbo and Atacama, where extreme precipitation is rare.
“We have 13 dead and seven missing,” Alicia Cebrián, director of the National Emergency Service (Senapred), told the press.
The previous report reported ten deaths and 100,000 people isolated.
The bad weather destroyed or damaged around 2,800 homes, left around 2,200 victims and isolated more than 60,000 people, with river floods preventing access to several villages.
“I am 57 years old and I have never seen a situation like this. The most impressive thing was to see the rivers and streams overflowing,” Patricia Albornoz, a district manager in Coquimbo, nearly 500 km from Santiago, told AFP.
Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado announced that the rains would “start to subside” in the coming hours.
Chilean President José Antonio Kast declared a state of disaster in part of the north of the country on Monday, authorizing the deployment of the army, restriction of movement and faster delivery of humanitarian aid.
Scientists warn that the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events across the globe will increase as the planet continues to warm due to fossil fuel emissions.
