British woman among four tourists killed in blizzard at nature reserve in Chile | Chile
A British woman and four foreign tourists died in a snowstorm in a nature reserve in southern Chile.
Nine people went missing Monday in Patagonia’s Torres del Paine reserve, a popular tourist destination, due to heavy snowfall and winds reaching speeds of 190 miles per hour.
Four people were rescued alive from a remote area of the mountains, but two Mexicans, two Germans and a British woman were confirmed dead on Tuesday afternoon.
A total of 24 people, including police officers, soldiers, mountain rescue teams and a search dog, participated in the search, and helicopters could not fly due to adverse weather conditions.
José Antonio Ruiz, presidential delegate of the Magallanes region, said: “Due to the nationality of these individuals, we are in the process of evacuation and consular procedures.”
He added that preparations are continuing for the evacuation of the bodies by air once the weather becomes suitable for helicopters to operate safely.
The national park of mountains, glaciers and rivers in southern Chile is a popular destination for explorers. More than 367,000 tourists visited the reserve in 2024; This represents an increase of almost two-thirds compared to the previous year.
Guillermo Ruiz, the presidential delegate for Ultima Esperanza state, told reporters that tourists got lost near the park’s Los Perros camp, which can only be reached by car from the nearest accessible point, a four- to five-hour hike.
November is late spring in the southern hemisphere; The busiest months in Torres del Paine are the summer months between December and February.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the “tragedy” and paid tribute to the rescue teams who “worked tirelessly from the very beginning in the search, rescue and now evacuation efforts.”
A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office could not yet confirm the woman’s identity but said: “We are in contact with local authorities following an incident in Chile.”
