Chile confirms first two deaths from severe weather system

Chile's government confirmed the first two fatalities resulting from a severe weather system battering the country's south-central region. The tragic event unfolded Saturday afternoon in the Panguipulli commune, Los Ríos Region, when a tree collapsed onto a vehicle traveling on the road connecting Panguipulli and Lican Ray. The driver and passenger of the car died at the scene, which occurred around 4:40 PM in the Pata de Gallo sector.

Interior Undersecretary Máximo Pavez officially announced the deaths after leading a national technical meeting. "We would like, first of all, to report as a government on the death of two people today in the context of this meteorological event in the Los Ríos Region," Pavez stated. He added that the incident, involving a tree falling on a vehicle, resulted in the deaths of the two occupants. "This is a procedure that is being carried out by Carabineros de Chile and is the official information we can provide, and they represent the first victims of this event. As a government, and through the entire Senapred system, our condolences to their families," he expressed.

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We would like, first of all, to report as a government on the death of two people today in the context of this meteorological event in the Los Ríos Region, on the road that connects Panguipulli with Lican Ray; after the fall of a tree, two people who were in a vehicle died.

Emergency services, including firefighters and health teams, were deployed to the site for rescue efforts. The Panguipulli-Lican Ray route remains closed while Carabineros conducts its investigation and the tree is removed from the roadway. Authorities are monitoring the broader impact of the weather phenomenon, which has affected areas from the Maule to the Los Lagos regions.

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This is a procedure that is being carried out by Carabineros de Chile and is the official information we can provide, and they represent the first victims of this event. As a government, and through the entire Senapred system, our condolences to their families.