SANTIAGO, (Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jul, 2026) A severe storm that swept across Chile has killed at least 13 people, the Chilean government said on Tuesday.
The storm that began 15th July in the southern part of the country hit the typically arid regions of Coquimbo and Atacama, where extreme rainfall is unusual.
"We have 13 dead and seven missing," Alicia Cebrian, Director of Chile's SENAPRED national emergency service, told reporters.
Around 2,800 homes have been destroyed in the rains, and swollen rivers and roads blocked by water and mud have left a number of towns cut off, the government said.
Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado said the rains were expected to ease, but that risks still remain due to "swollen riverbeds and ravines."
