A British woman and four other foreign tourists have died after being caught in a blizzard at the Torres del Paine nature reserve in southern Chile. The group was among nine people reported missing on Monday amid heavy snowfall and winds reaching up to 120mph.
Four people were rescued alive from a remote mountainous area, but authorities confirmed on Tuesday that two Mexican nationals, two Germans and a British woman had lost their lives. The search operation involved 24 personnel, including police, soldiers, mountain rescue teams and a search dog, though helicopters were grounded due to the adverse weather.
José Antonio Ruiz, the presidential delegate for the Magallanes region, said authorities were conducting evacuation and consular procedures. He added that preparations were under way to airlift the bodies once weather permitted. Guillermo Ruiz, the provincial presidential delegate, said the tourists had become lost near the park's Los Perros camp, which is reachable only after a four- to five-hour trek from the nearest vehicle access point.
The national park, known for its mountains, glaciers and rivers, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. In 2024, more than 367,000 tourists visited the reserve, a rise of almost two-thirds on the previous year. November is late spring in the southern hemisphere, with the busiest months falling between December and February.
Chile's President Gabriel Boric offered his condolences to the victims' families, describing the incident as a tragedy and paying tribute to rescue teams who had worked tirelessly from the outset. A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said they could not yet confirm the woman's identity but were in contact with local authorities.
