Floods caused by heavy rains in Chile cause deaths, missing people, and thousands of victims

Santiago de Chile, June 26 (RHC) The number of people missing due to the rains and floods in Chile rose to 6 and almost 8,000 people are isolated, Interior Minister Carolina Tohá reported today in a new assessment of the situation.

According to the official, the number of deaths remains at 2, in both cases due to falling trees, and there are 54 homes destroyed, 751 with major damage and 1,951 with minor damage.

Up to midday this Sunday, some 1,500 residents were in shelters, although this will increase as those who are isolated are rescued.

Several communities are almost completely flooded, including Coltalcu, in the O'Higgins Region, and Licantén, in El Maule, due to the overflowing of nearby rivers.

In the Chilean capital, the situation is tending to normalize after more than 24 hours without rain, although in the surrounding communities, there is considerable damage after the Mapocho and Maipo rivers overflowed their banks.

According to the official, Ruta 5 Sur, one of the busiest routes, has two points affected, there are 26 bridges damaged, 11 with structural problems, and 15 where the passage of vehicles is restricted.

This Sunday there will be a meeting in La Moneda, headed by President Gabriel Boric, where they will evaluate the situation and make clarifications about the aid to the victims.

The rainfall in the high part of the Andes Mountains, where there is usually snowfall, caused the growth of rivers that overflowed at several points and knocked down or damaged houses and bridges on roads or railways.

There are still several flooded towns, where the inhabitants are trying to get the mud out of the houses before it hardens.

In the north of the Bío Bío Region, there are a dozen Mapuche communities isolated by the flooding of the river of the same name and the Queuco, which swept away rafts, vehicles, and bridges.

Senapred maintains nine red alerts, five yellow alerts, and four early preventive alerts, and there are 8,500 homes without electricity service.

The Chilean Meteorological Service announced that a new frontal system will enter next Wednesday and another one is expected for Friday. (Source: PL)