Deadly mudslide hits Santiago's Las Condes after heavy rain

A violent mudslide struck the San Carlos de Apoquindo sector of Las Condes, eastern Santiago, on Thursday afternoon after intense rainfall activated the Quebrada Honda ravine. A torrent of water, mud, rocks and tree trunks surged down streets including General Blanche and Camino El Alba around 5:00 p.m., dragging private cars and a public RED system bus while flooding homes, commercial premises, universities and medical facilities.

President José Antonio Kast declared Las Condes a catastrophe zone, enabling emergency contracting and faster resource deployment. Presidential delegate Germán Codina confirmed six injuries, including a one-year-old child with a fracture. The National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) issued a Red Alert for ten metropolitan communes.

“We have never seen anything like this before”

Rainfall far exceeded seasonal norms. The Tobalaba weather station recorded over 120 mm by Wednesday noon, against a normal August–October range of 38–102 mm. Some areas received 144 mm on Thursday alone. Saturated soils from prior rains, an unusually high zero-degree isotherm turning snow to rain, and vegetation loss from January wildfires amplified runoff.

Multiple warnings had preceded the disaster. A February Sernageomin report flagged "high danger of mass movements" after a January fire and mudslide. A May lawsuit by the Catholic University warned of "imminent" mudslide risk. A June municipal document noted "increased alluvial risk." The Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal investigation on Friday.

Experts say the event reflects structural vulnerabilities. Geographer Ignacio Ibarra cited the interaction of trigger factors (concentrated rain) and conditioning factors (saturated slopes, basin geometry, fire scars). Geologist Francisca Roldán argued the emergency was not unforeseeable, citing deficient investment, territorial planning and early-warning systems.