Chile Shuts 21 Schools After Las Condes Mudslide
CHILE · DISASTER
Key Facts
- —The country Chile is a stable, copper-rich South American democracy, and Santiago is its capital and business hub.
- —Where Las Condes is a wealthy district in eastern Santiago at the foot of the Andes, home to offices, international schools and many foreign residents.
- —What happened Officials ordered damaged homes evacuated on Monday 12 October before new storms, then shut 21 schools and kindergartens on Tuesday 13 October.
- —The background A Las Condes mudslide tore through the San Carlos de Apoquindo area on Thursday 8 October, leaving at least 55 homes as total losses.
- —The risk Chile’s geology service raised the risk of new landslides to high on Monday, and a red alert covered ten Santiago-region districts.
- —What it means for you Foreign residents and visitors in eastern Santiago should follow evacuation orders and official alerts until the storms pass.
- —Still open Officials have not said whether Monday’s rain caused new damage, when residents can return, or when classes will resume.
Chile closed 21 schools and kindergartens in Las Condes on Tuesday 13 October, after ordering families out of homes hit by last week’s mudslide. Officials feared Monday’s storms could trigger a second Las Condes mudslide in the same area.
Las Condes is one of Santiago’s richest districts and a common base for foreign families and companies. The Las Condes mudslide of Thursday 8 October led the government to declare a disaster zone there.
Why Officials Ordered an Evacuation
On Monday morning Germán Codina, the presidential delegate for the Santiago Metropolitan Region, ordered homes left as total losses cleared, Emol reported. The delegate represents the central government in the capital region.
According to BioBioChile, the order also covered badly damaged homes in the Tres Santas condominiums and nearby streets. Codina said the first count of 55 homes lost completely had since grown.
The zone runs between Avenida El Alba, Avenida Las Flores, General Blanche and Quebrada Honda, BioBioChile reported.
Volunteers were told to stop cleaning by noon, and the evacuation was set to start at 1 p.m., Emol reported. Codina also asked residents to keep cars off the street so people could leave quickly.
“We have to be extremely cautious,” Codina said, according to Emol. He expected intense rain between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., BioBioChile reported.
A High Risk of New Landslides
Sernageomin, Chile’s National Geology and Mining Service, raised its landslide warning on Monday morning from moderate to high probability, Codina said. Chile’s national weather service forecast intense rain over a short period that afternoon, Emol reported.
Alicia Cebrián, national director of Senapred, the national disaster prevention and response agency, urged residents to obey the order, 24horas reported. A red alert was in force in ten districts of the region.
In other parts of the area, some people said they had not received the notice or had put off leaving, 24horas reported. The perimeter was also pushed north to let emergency vehicles and mud-clearing crews through, BioBioChile reported.
21 Schools and Kindergartens Closed
The regional office of Chile’s Education Ministry suspended Tuesday classes at 12 schools and nine kindergartens in Las Condes, BioBioChile and T13 reported. The office said the closure would make mud removal easier and protect pupils and staff.
The 12 schools were named on Sunday, and on Monday the office added the nine kindergartens, T13 reported. The suspension applies only to Tuesday and only to the listed schools.
The list includes private and international schools popular with foreign families, such as Redland, Wenlock and the Scuola Italiana Vittorio Montiglio.
Government Weighs Weather Radars
Máximo Pavez, Undersecretary of the Interior, defended Senapred and the weather office in an interview with Radio Cooperativa, BioBioChile reported. He said last Thursday’s storm cloud “stopped” over the area, so a lot of water fell in a short time.
After the Las Condes mudslide, Pavez said the government is studying the purchase of several weather radars, with the plan possibly moving ahead next year. Why no phone alert reached Las Condes before the first slide was explained by the government last week.
“It is a large investment, because it means having several,” Pavez said. He gave no cost estimate.
What It Means for You
For Americans in Santiago, the Las Condes mudslide shows that the eastern foothills carry real flood risk in heavy rain. Las Condes is among the districts foreigners most often choose, as a guide to Santiago rents for foreigners shows.
Anyone in the foothill districts should follow Senapred alerts and evacuation orders, keep cars off narrow streets and avoid ravines during storms. Parents with children at the listed schools should check each school’s own notices before Wednesday.
What Is Not Known
By early Tuesday, officials had not said whether Monday afternoon’s rain caused a new Las Condes mudslide or fresh damage. It is also unclear how many families left their homes, and how many stayed.
There is no date yet for residents to return or for classes to resume after Tuesday. The radar plan has no published budget or supplier.
More: Chile news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Las Condes?
A mudslide hit the San Carlos de Apoquindo area of Las Condes, in eastern Santiago, on Thursday 8 October. At least 55 homes were destroyed, and officials ordered damaged homes evacuated on Monday 12 October as new storms arrived.
Why were schools closed on 13 October?
The regional education office suspended classes at 12 schools and nine kindergartens in Las Condes. It said the closure would make mud removal easier and keep pupils and staff safe.
Is Santiago safe for visitors after the Las Condes mudslide?
The damage from last week’s slide is concentrated in a foothill area of Las Condes, while most of Santiago is unaffected. Visitors should still follow Senapred alerts and stay away from ravines and evacuation zones during heavy rain.
Who is in charge of the emergency response?
Germán Codina, the presidential delegate for the Santiago region, ordered the evacuation. Senapred, the national disaster agency, coordinates alerts, while the regional education office decides school closures.
Sources: Seremi de Educación RM (post cited by BioBioChile), 12 October 2026; T13 — Seremi de Educación RM extends Tuesday class suspension to 21 establishments, 12 October 2026; BioBioChile — Codina on the evacuation, 12 October 2026; Emol, 12 October 2026; 24horas, 12 October 2026; BioBioChile — Pavez on weather radars, 12 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief