Parts of the Las Condes suburb in Santiago were inundated by flash flooding on Thursday. The national meteorological agency recorded more than 60 mm of rain over the previous four days, prompting a “red alert” for roughly ten regional areas and the declaration of a disaster zone for Las Condes.

At least six people were injured and dozens were evacuated, among them residents of an aged‑care home, staff and clients of a university health clinic, and about 60 children sheltering at a technical college, according to the disaster agency Senapred.

Mauricio Lorca, director of Chile’s Geology and Mining Service, said the event should be called a “flash flow.” He explained that a flash flow is a rapid flood that forms in a short time and drags large amounts of sediment and debris, affecting riverbeds, rivers or slopes.

The Chilean Army responded by sending specialist vehicles, infantry soldiers and emergency response teams to the affected streets of Las Condes to help with rescue operations and clean‑up, aiming to protect homes, roads and stranded vehicles.

Because a flash flow carries both water and heavy sediment, it can sweep away cars, damage buildings and quickly overwhelm drainage systems, which is why authorities treated the incident as an emergency of rapid activation.