At least three killed and hundreds displaced by heavy rain in Chile

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing its staff and Reuters, reported that severe rain and strong winds across central and southern Chile have killed at least three people and forced hundreds from their homes. The report, published July 17, 2026, said President Jose Antonio Kast was heading to the Biobio region, among the worst-hit areas, to assess flood damage and the official response.

According to the report, Chile’s disaster relief agency, SENAPRED, said 466 people were in shelters, including some evacuated as a precaution, while 158 others had been cut off by rising waters, mainly in the Coquimbo region. Agency head Alicia Cebrian said seven people had been injured. SENAPRED also ordered evacuations in the Campamento Ribera del Rio area near Talagante because of increased river levels.

The storm has affected daily life and infrastructure across the country. Some schools suspended classes, state-owned copper producer Codelco halted surface operations at its Andina mine, and about 257,000 people remained without electricity, mostly in southern Chile. Al Jazeera reported that the deaths included a worker clearing a road in Negrete, a person who fell while cleaning a roof in Temuco, and a person electrocuted in Santiago.

The flooding is an early major emergency for Kast, who took office in March after campaigning in 2025 on a hardline anti-crime platform. Al Jazeera said he has pledged institutional support for those affected, while additional heavy rain was forecast for Chile’s central zone on Friday.