Two Mexicans died and seven people went missing when a blizzard hit the Patagonian Torres del Paine nature reserve, Chile’s most visited foreign tourist spot, authorities said Tuesday.
The visitors were caught off guard Monday while exploring the park famed for its granite peaks, glaciers and wildlife — some about 2,800 kilometers (1,740 miles) south of Chile’s capital Santiago.
“There are two deceased individuals and seven people whose whereabouts are unknown. Our work is now focused entirely on search and rescue efforts,” Jose Antonio Ruiz, a regional government official, told reporters.
The nationalities of the missing individuals were unknown.
Soldiers and police have joined the search effort in the park designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1978.
In 2023, more than 360,000 tourists visited the reserve and its hiking trails, according to the latest available figures from the Conaf national forestry body.
The weather forecast for Torres del Paine these days is for sleet and strong winds, which diminishes visibility for hikers who may stray from the park’s dedicated trails as a result, Juan Carlos Andrades of the Senapred emergency response unit told AFP.
