Officials in Chile have declared a state of catastrophe in the Coquimbo region, including the province of Huasco, after heavy rains sparked floods and mudslides.
Local mayors report that at least five people have died, and the country’s disaster response service, Senapred, says the extreme weather has isolated more than 99,000 residents and left several missing across the nation.
Meteorologists from Chile’s National Institute of Meteorology recorded historic rainfall—over 200 mm at Cerro Tololo—fueling landslides that have inundated towns and shut down infrastructure.
President José Antonio Kast announced that the government has activated the constitutional state of catastrophe after evaluating the emergency and mobilising emergency services.
Rescue operations are underway, but the sheer scale of the flooding threatens to overwhelm local communities and national resources.
