Mudslide sweeps away vehicles, bus in Chile's capital
The damage extended across approximately 2 miles of secondary streets and 7.5 miles of major roads.
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People walk through an area affected by a mudslide in Las Condes, Chile, on Thursday. Chile's National Disaster Prevention and Response Service said intense rainfall triggered the mudslide after ravines in the area were activated, sweeping away vehicles and a public transport bus. (Photo Credit: Javier Torres/EPA)
SANTIAGO, Chile, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- A mudslide swept away cars and a bus in an eastern foothill area of Santiago, Chile, injuring six people, stranding more than 1,000 and affecting more than 2,000 homes and 200 acres.
The incident Thursday afternoon resulted from a powerful storm system that swept through central and southern Chile, triggering runoff in ravines surrounding the capital. Rocks, sediment and water surged down steep streets in the eastern part of the city.
The damage extended across approximately 2 miles of secondary streets and 7.5 miles of major roads.
Chilean President José Antonio Kast declared a state of emergency and ordered military personnel to assist with evacuations.
Amid concerns about further landslides and falling rocks, the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service, Senapred, issued a red alert for 10 municipalities in Santiago's Andean foothills and mountain areas.
By Friday morning, authorities reported 2,015 homes affected, including 55 with severe damage that were deemed uninhabitable and another 1,960 with minor damage.
Germán Codina, the presidential representative for the Santiago metropolitan area, said some families evacuated their homes overnight and others might need to be relocated. He warned that recovery efforts could take weeks or months.
The mudslide followed intense rainfall over a short period.
"Ten millimeters [0.4 inch] fell in half an hour," Chilevisión meteorologist Allison Göhler said.
Mauricio Lorca, acting national director of Chile's National Geology and Mining Service, Sernageomin, described the event as a "flash flow," a sudden surge of water carrying debris.
"It is a rapid rise in water that occurs over a very short period and carries large amounts of sediment and material that can affect waterways, rivers or hillsides," he told El País.
Architect and urban planner Pablo Allard, dean of the Faculty of Architecture and Art at Universidad del Desarrollo, said the disaster may also have resulted from a domino effect caused by vegetation loss in the area.
"Climate change caused a fire in January of this year in the same area, resulting in the loss of plant material and affecting a significant portion of the vegetation whose roots hold the soil in place," he said.
Allard added that trees not only absorb water but also slow its flow and help stabilize the ground.
The absence of emergency alerts sent to residents' mobile phones drew criticism.
Senapred Director Alicia Cebrián said the sudden nature of the mudslide made it impossible to issue an evacuation warning in advance, forcing emergency teams to focus on responding as the disaster unfolded.
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