Death Toll in Chile Floods Rises to 17
At least 17 people were killed in flash floods that hit a normally arid region of northern Chile last week, and 20 remain missing, authorities said Monday.
The latest death toll from the devastating floods was released after five more bodies were found late Sunday and early Monday, as rescue workers continued dealing with the aftermath of the torrential rains in Atacama region, home to the world's driest desert.
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet had warned Saturday that the situation in the area was "bleak" and that the death toll was likely to rise.
The missing include three of the 33 miners who were trapped underground in the same region for more than two months in 2010, then rescued in an operation that captured worldwide attention.
One of the rescued miners, Luis Urzua, said there was no news since the floods from his colleagues Ariel Ticona, Esteban Rojas and Victor Segovia, who survived the ordeal with him.
Another of the miners, Victor Zamora, lost his house in the small mining town of Tierra Amarilla to the raging floodwaters.
The downpour began late Tuesday and lashed the area for hours, turning riverbeds that had been dry for years into torrents.
The interior ministry declared a state of emergency Wednesday and sent in the military to maintain order and help with the clean-up effort.
Source: Agence France Presse
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