At least six killed by floods in Chile – ElSol.com.ar – Diario de Mendoza, Argentina

At least six people have died in northern Chile following heavy rains in recent days, which caused flooding in the waterways and landslides, local authorities and the media reported today.

Thousands of people are also deprived of electricity in the city of Arica and in the town of Alto Hospicio, which has been isolated by landslides that have affected the area, according to the Chilean newspaper La Nación.

At the same time, the northern region of Iquique was evacuated by order of the Ministry of the Interior.

The Chilean President, Sebastián Piñera, went to the region on Saturday and said that "several emergency measures have already been put in place".

Northern Chile has been hit by torrential rains since last Thursday, while in the south of the country, emergency services are fighting several outbreaks of forest fires.