The confirmed fatalities include a worker who died while clearing a road in the southern town of Negrete, a person who fell while cleaning a roof in Temuco, and an individual who suffered an electric shock in the capital, Santiago. Alicia Cebrian, director of Senapred, the government agency responsible for managing emergency responses, stated that seven people have been injured and 79 are affected. Additionally, 466 people have been sheltered and 158 remain isolated, primarily in the Coquimbo region due to rising water levels. Authorities indicated that Friday is expected to bring the heaviest rainfall yet to the central zone.
The storm has caused significant infrastructure and industrial disruptions. Approximately 257,000 customers lost power, mainly in the south. Schools suspended classes on Friday. While Chile’s northern mining zone, home to most of the country’s copper and lithium extraction, was not affected, operations in the center-south were impacted. State-owned Codelco halted surface operations at its Andina mine due to the storm’s intensity and stopped ore shipments from the El Teniente open-pit mine due to snow accumulation on slopes. Anglo American stated it had activated preventive protocols, assuring the stability of its facilities despite the heavy rains. Antofagasta Minerals temporarily restricted access to its Los Pelambres mine and implemented a preventive reduction in non-critical activities. Copper mines in the center-south otherwise operated normally under standard winter contingency plans, which include temporary work stoppages when weather conditions deteriorate.
