Chile Floods Leave 4 Million People Without Drinking Water

Red Alert issued in Santiago as heavy rains pound Chile and Uruguay unleashing severe flooding

An estimated 4 million people without drinking water, as torrential rains triggered severe flooding and major landslides and rivers breached their banks, polluting the drinking water  in the capital Santiago, according to reports.

More than four million Chileans are without drinking water, with seven million in the capital under threat, as tap water production falls to 35 percent of normal, the report said.

Violent storms deluge Uruguay

Extreme rain events have plagued central parts of South America, causing severe flooding in Uruguay, and prompting the authorities to declare a state of emergency.

Widespread devastation and multiple fatalities have been reported across the Andean country, with thousands of people left homeless.

At least one tornado has left four people dead in the town of Delores, 250km northwest of the capital, Montevideo.

Up to 190mm of rainfall in 24 hours has been reported in central Uruguay.