SANTIAGO, Chile, October 9: Heavy rainfall battered Chile’s capital and surrounding areas on Thursday, triggering mudslides, flooding homes and sweeping vehicles through streets. At least six people were injured, while emergency teams rescued or evacuated more than 1,000 residents, authorities said.
President Jose Antonio Kast declared a state of emergency in Las Condes, an affluent district east of Santiago, enabling government agencies to strengthen their response to the severe weather. Torrential downpours inundated major roads, turning them into fast flowing waterways and making several routes impassable.
Las Condes Mayor Catalina San Martin said the district had received 14.4 centimetres (5.7 inches) of rainfall in recent days, approximately nine times the average amount recorded for October. She described the area as completely saturated following the prolonged downpour.
The Mapocho River, which flows through Santiago, overflowed its banks, prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders in vulnerable areas. Chile’s disaster-response agency placed 10 additional districts on high alert over the threat of further landslides and ordered schools to remain closed on Friday.
The latest rainfall followed storms earlier in the week that damaged dozens of homes across central Chile. The severe weather also disrupted electricity supplies, leaving nearly 12,000 customers in Santiago without power, officials said.
Authorities expected the downpours to weaken on Friday, although emergency services remained alert to the possibility of further flooding and slope failures.
No fatalities were reported on Thursday. Among the injured was a one year old child who suffered broken bones, officials said.
Firefighters and emergency personnel continued rescue and evacuation operations as floodwaters affected residential neighbourhoods and road networks. The scale of the flooding highlighted the challenges facing local authorities as they worked to protect residents and restore essential services.
The disaster has also drawn attention to the potential effects of changing weather patterns, as a powerful El Nino event gains strength in the tropical Pacific Ocean.
El Nino is a naturally recurring climate phenomenon associated with unusually warm sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific. It can alter atmospheric circulation and influence rainfall and temperature patterns across different parts of the world.
The World Meteorological Organization said on Thursday that the current El Nino was expected to reach its peak in December and could become one of the strongest events recorded since at least 1950.
The phenomenon often brings wetter spring conditions to parts of the Southern Hemisphere, although its effects vary by region and do not independently explain every extreme rainfall event.
For Santiago and surrounding communities, the immediate priority remains responding to the flooding, assisting affected households and preventing further casualties. Authorities are also monitoring vulnerable districts for additional landslides as emergency operations continue.
The heavy rainfall has disrupted daily life across parts of central Chile, damaging property, interrupting electricity supplies and forcing residents to leave areas threatened by rising water levels.
With more communities placed on alert, officials are urging continued caution while emergency teams assess the damage and prepare for any further weather-related incidents.