Alto del Carmen: Mayor Urgency for Government Rescue Efforts in Valeriano Junction Amid Severe Weather

Original article: Alto del Carmen: Alcalde alerta que autoridades de gobierno aún no atienden solicitud urgente de rescate de personas en Junta de Valeriano

The mayor of Alto del Carmen, Cristián Olivares, urgently called on central government authorities to address the critical situation in the Juntas de Valeriano area, where many families and their animals are stranded due to heavy rains and snow.

In a video shared by Vallenar Online, the mayor stated, «We need more machinery in the area; we will continue to the town of Valeriano (…) working to clear the roads to deliver humanitarian aid to all the towns in the area.»

The recording also revealed that the area is covered by at least 1 meter of snow, which has caused avalanches and led to roofs collapsing under the weight of the accumulated snow, as reported by the Andean Rescue Corps.

«Houses are collapsing every day; we have people who evacuated without clothes and are getting sick. Fuel and food supplies are running low,» warned one of the volunteers, stressing the urgent need for evacuation as the narrow ravine poses a constant risk of avalanches.

«There are many children that need to be evacuated with their mothers, and the most urgent needs include feed for the livestock that have been trapped for two days, as well as firewood. The shelter we built is no longer adequate,» said a local resident.