Heavy rains lashed central and southern Chile this weekend, leaving at least two people dead, forcing thousands to evacuate homes, and opening a massive sinkhole that swallowed a car.
In Angol, in the Araucania region, police and soldiers used boats on Monday (August 3) to rescue residents trapped by rising waters. Sebastian Aranki Padilla, commander of the Chilean Army’s Husares Task Force, said troops were working alongside national defence authorities to support the community after the floods.
In Constitution, in the Maule region, a jeep sank into a sinkhole that opened on a softened road. Meanwhile, firefighters worked to drain flooded homes and clear mud-covered streets, while heavy machinery cleared debris.
National Director of Chile’s disaster prevention agency SENAPRED Alicia Cebrian said the storm system had affected 1,142 people, left 119 people sheltered and isolated 6,243 others, with 25 homes destroyed and 632 homes suffering major damage.
(Source: Reuters)
