World
Northern Chile: Storm kills 5, president declares disaster state
A storm has been striking northern Chile since July 15, 2026, killing five people. On July 20, the Chilean president declared a state of disaster — a formal emergency measure allowing systematic compensation for victims of damage caused by natural agents such as floods or landslides. According to Chile's Under-Secretary of State for Interior on July 19, the amount of rain normally recorded in a month fell in a single hour in the region. Northern Chile is home to the Atacama Desert, one of the driest areas on the planet.