Five tourists have died in a severe snowstorm in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park, located in southern Patagonia. Four other missing persons have been found alive, UNN reports with reference to Reuters.
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Jose Antonio Ruiz, the presidential representative for Chile's southern Magallanes region, said talks had begun with representatives of the victims' countries of origin to arrange the repatriation of their bodies.
Two Germans, two Mexicans, and one British citizen died, authorities said, adding that severe weather conditions were making it difficult to recover the bodies.
"I express my deepest condolences," President Gabriel Boric wrote on social media to the families of the deceased. "Know that in these difficult times you can count on the full support and cooperation of the Chilean authorities and state institutions."
Guillermo Ruiz, the presidential delegate for Ultima Esperanza province, told reporters that the tourists got lost near the Los Perros camp in the national park, which can only be reached by a four-to-five-hour walk from the nearest accessible point by car.
The area was hit by a snowstorm that caused a complete whiteout, and wind speeds exceeded 193 km/h, equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.
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Torres del Paine National Park, with its mountain peaks and subpolar forests, covers an area of about 1,810 square kilometers and receives hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.