Five foreign tourists died in Torres del Paine National Park, in Chilean Patagonia, after being caught in a snowstorm of rare violence.

A tragedy occurred in the Torres del Paine nature reserve in Chilean Patagonia, where five tourists – two Mexicans, two Germans and one British woman – lost their lives after being caught in a violent snowstorm.

According to José Antonio Ruiz, the presidential delegate for the Magallanes region, the victims are "two Mexicans, two Germans, and one British woman." He specified that "discussions have already begun with the relevant consuls regarding the repatriation of the bodies." Four other visitors, initially reported missing, were found alive, but their nationalities have not been released.

Extreme weather conditions

This tragedy comes as the reserve, located 2,800 km south of Santiago, has been facing extreme weather conditions since Sunday. Juan Carlos Andrades, regional director of Senapred, described winds reaching 120 km/h and rain mixed with snow creating a veritable "whiteout" that disoriented hikers. "Visitors stray from the marked trail, but with this whiteout, they become disoriented," he explained. Military and police personnel have been mobilized in the search.

This park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, attracts a growing number of travelers each year, with over 360,000 visitors in 2023 according to CONAF. The first hikers of the season usually arrive in November, particularly to undertake the famous circuit around the Paine massif, a trek lasting just over a week.