Heavy rains that hit most of Chile have resulted in 13 deaths and seven missing, authorities said on Tuesday, while the government stated it will seek sanctions against electricity distributors for prolonged power outages, reports UNN citing Reuters.
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The storms swept from the country's central region to the south, causing widespread flooding, road closures, and damage to homes.
"Waterways, streams, and riverbanks have been weakened by rainfall over the past few days; some of them still face a risk of rising water levels," said Alicia Cebrián, head of Chile's emergency management agency Senapred.
Cebrián added that, in addition to the casualties, 2,281 people have been displaced, 81 homes destroyed, 2,761 homes suffered significant damage, while 87,000 people remain without electricity.
The country's Interior Minister Claudio Alvarado said the government plans to initiate disciplinary proceedings against electricity distribution companies for delays in restoring services.
Education has been suspended in schools of several municipalities across four regions.
Although most major copper and lithium mining companies are located in the northernmost part of the country, which was not affected by the bad weather, some enterprises in the region have been forced to temporarily reduce their operations due to these conditions.