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Patagonia Blizzard in Chile Leaves At Least Two Dead, With Regional Officials Later Reporting Five

Authorities are reconciling conflicting tallies during ground searches in whiteout conditions.

Overview

  • Regional authorities initially confirmed two Mexican tourists dead and seven people missing on the park’s demanding “O” circuit.
  • An official post from the Magallanes presidential delegation later stated the death toll had risen to five after finding three of the seven missing, citing two Mexicans, two Germans and a British national.
  • Interagency teams of about two dozen responders, including Carabineros, Army personnel, CONAF rangers, mountain specialists, a canine unit and a drone, are conducting searches on foot.
  • Aerial operations were suspended due to severe weather, with reported wind gusts near 193 km/h and heavy snowfall around the Los Perros–John Gardner Pass sector.
  • CONAF closed the Circuito O to facilitate operations, and access to the affected area requires a four to five hour hike from the nearest vehicle point, complicating evacuations and recoveries.