(남미/칠레) 칠레 홍수로 수도 산티아고 시민 수백만 물부족

출처: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39099313

Chile floods: Millions without water in capital Santiago

• 27 February 2017
 
• From the sectionLatin America & Caribbean

Torrential rain over the weekend in Chile has prompted mudslides into the Maipo river (torrential rain: 폭우) (mudslides: 산사태로 흘러내리는 진흙) 

Rainstorms and landslides in Chile have contaminated a major river forcing the authorities to cut off drinking water to at least four million people in the capital, Santiago. (rainstorm: 폭우) (landslides: 산사태)

Officials said the water supply from the Maipo river would be cut to most of the city until the water flowed clear.

At least three people have been killed and 19 are missing as rivers overflowed and bridges were washed away.

Almost 400 people have been cut off in the Cajon del Maipo mountainous area. (be cut off: 고립되다)

"Emergency teams are working on the ground to connect with isolated persons and re-establish the water supply wherever possible," Chilean President Michelle Bachelet wrote on Twitter [in Spanish].

Image copyrightREUTERS

Image captionRoads were cut off by rockslides 무너져내린 돌더미로 길이 막혔다

Image copyrightEPA

Image captionHeavy machinery is being used to remove the debris 잔해를 제거하기 위해 중장비가 나섰다. (heavy machinery: 중장비) 

Image copyrightAP

Image captionSome homes were filled with sludge as rivers overflowed (sludge: 쓰레기)

Aguas Andinas, which provides the capital with drinking water, said continuing rain was making repairs difficult. The company said it did not know yet when the water supply could be restored.

Regional governor Claudio Orrego said weather conditions in the mountains near Santiago remained "very bad".

"We had many landslides in a very short space of time," he said.

A 12-year-old girl was killed when the car she was travelling in with her family was swept away by a landslide in the O'Higgins region, south of Santiago.

Two more people died in Cajon del Maipo.

Mr Orrego said the heavy rains which had fallen since Saturday were "absolutely anomalous" for the summer period.

Stocking up 비축 (stock up: 채우다, 사다, 비축하다)

More than 60% of households in Santiago woke up on Sunday to find their taps running dry. (taps: 수도꼭지)

Many queued to fill buckets and pans with water provided by the authorities.

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionPeople rushed to stores to stock up on bottled water 

Image copyrightAFP

Image captionOthers filled whatever containers they had at tanks provided for residents who have been cut off

Some shops ran out of bottled water and a number of supermarkets reported scuffles between people eager to stock up.

Restaurants and businesses in the affected areas were ordered to stay closed and schools were also told to delay the start of the school year, scheduled for Monday.

The flooding follows months of drought and a series of deadly wildfires which burned for weeks.