Police in central Chile have airlifted several residents to safety after rising floodwaters left them trapped in their homes. The Mapocho river burst its banks following recent torrential rains, leading to significant flooding in Talagante, located 35km (22 miles) south-west of Santiago.
Santiago has recorded 74mm of rainfall in the first seven days of October, which meteorologists state makes it the rainiest October for the area in 76 years. Police used helicopters to rescue people and pets from the banks of the Mapocho river in Talagante, where fast-rising waters surprised residents overnight.
Officials reported that one person was found dead in a flooded underpass in San Bernardo, south of Santiago, though the cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Meteorologists have warned that this year's unusually strong El Niño climate phenomenon is likely to continue bringing unusually wet weather, powerful winds, and storms to the region during the southern hemisphere's spring.