Heavy rain batters Chile’s capital, sweeping away cars and flooding homes
- On Thursday, October 8, 2026, a flash flood of mud, rocks, and debris swept through the Las Condes sector of Santiago, Chile, carrying away vehicles and trees.
- Triggered by intense rainfall, the mudflow surged through streets like Francisco Bulnes Correa; a similar incident occurred in the same area on January 31, 2026.
- Inundating the Clínica UC San Carlos de Apoquindo, the flood trapped a public transport RED bus with passengers aboard. Carabineros, Chile's national police, reported high water flow on General Blanche.
- Mayor Catalina San Martín confirmed 11 homes flooded, while Presidential Delegate Germán Codina stated authorities were evaluating evacuation orders via the emergency SMS alert system known as SAE.
- As of Thursday, Senapred, Chile's national disaster agency, reported no injuries or deaths. Travelers and residents in Santiago should follow all instructions from local officials.
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A torrent of mud caused by heavy rain broke through the streets of Santiago, Chile, carrying dozens of vehicles. At least six people, including a one-year-old child, were injured and ten communes of the region remain on red alert. The images - visible above - show impressive scenes. - "I did my best to help by getting children out of the cars": images of a devastating mud flow in Chile (International).
To deal with the emergency, municipal teams and officials of the Metropolitan Presidential Delegation were deployed, working on the recognition of the area, assistance to those affected and verification of possible additional risk situations.
The storm caused the death of one person and left at least six wounded. Firefighters are removing people from the interior of vehicles, from houses where the mud entered and from universities.
The Chilean capital Santiago was hit by devastating flash floods on Thursday. The Las Condes neighborhood in the foothills of the Andes was the hardest hit, with massive torrents of water and mud sweeping away vehicles and flooding buildings. Authorities declared a state of disaster there. The exceptionally rainy weather may have been contributed by the rapidly strengthening El Niño.
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