Heavy rains hit central-south Chile on Tuesday, destroying houses, cutting off electricity and blocking roads, the National Emergency Office said, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Nearly 2,000 people in the region, specially in the Maule and Bio Bio provinces, were affected as regional authorities suspended classes in the cities of San Javier and Talca, where 52 mm of rainfall was registered Tuesday morning alone.
"No city can endure so much water," said Luis Canales, the regional ministerial secretary, advising local residents to stay at home.
To allay fears of possible flooding caused by the Andalien river, regional authorities assured that water is being pumped out.
The country's meteorological authorities expect the rainfall to diminish on Thursday.