SANTIAGO — Heavy rains and flooding along Chile's coast have killed at least four people as a powerful storm system swept across central and southern parts of the country, prompting emergency alerts, evacuations and widespread disruptions, authorities said on Saturday.
Chile's Interior Ministry and the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) said the latest fatality was reported in the central ValparaÃso region, raising the nationwide death toll from the storm to four. Authorities declared a red alert in parts of the region because of the risk of mudslides and landslides as heavy rainfall continued.
The storm has affected 10 of Chile's 16 regions, bringing torrential rain, strong winds and unusually heavy surf that flooded low-lying coastal areas, damaged infrastructure and forced road closures. Officials reported overflowing rivers, localized flooding, power outages and disruptions to transportation as emergency crews worked to reach affected communities.
Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and comply with evacuation and safety instructions, warning that hazardous weather conditions were expected to persist in several areas. Maritime authorities also cautioned against entering the sea or approaching rocky shorelines because of dangerous waves generated by the frontal system.
President José Antonio Kast visited the BiobÃo region, one of the hardest-hit areas, to assess damage and coordinate the government's response. Earlier in the week, the government declared a preventive emergency across 10 regions stretching from Atacama to Los RÃos and mobilized state agencies ahead of the arrival of the storm.
According to the latest official balance released by Chilean authorities, hundreds of people have been displaced, with emergency shelters opened for residents forced from their homes. Authorities also reported damage to hundreds of homes, while assessments of infrastructure and agricultural losses were continuing.
Chile's weather service warned that rainfall, strong winds and hazardous coastal conditions could continue through the weekend in some regions, while emergency officials said they would maintain monitoring of rivers, hillsides and vulnerable coastal communities.
Authorities said rescue operations, damage assessments and relief efforts remained underway as weather conditions gradually improved in some areas, while emergency alerts stayed in effect where the risk of flooding and landslides remained high.
