Landslide in Santiago, Chile: At least six people were injured

A landslide caused by torrential rains swept through the streets of the Las Condes neighborhood, an area in the eastern part of the city of Santiago de Chile, on Thursday, leaving at least six people injured and several others stranded. Among the injured is a one-year-old baby who suffered a fracture.

The mudflow affected dozens of vehicles, and people in cars, homes, and a university needed assistance from emergency response teams. Some clinics and hospitals in the area were also affected, according to authorities.

President José Antonio Kast ordered the Las Condes region to be declared a “disaster zone.” The government issued a red alert in ten municipalities in the Santiago metropolitan region, located at the foothills of the Andes.

Heavy rains and storms have been affecting the Chilean capital since Tuesday, following a winter with unusually high precipitation. Authorities associate them with the El Niño climate phenomenon, which could be one of the most intense in the last half-century.