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Chilean president confirms 2 dead, 8 missing due to floods

Xinhua, April 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said Sunday that flooding in the central part of the country has left at least two people dead and eight others missing.

Bachelet confirmed the toll in a speech from the presidential palace in Santiago. He said that at least 324 people have been displaced and over 300 homes damaged.

Persistent rainfalls, which are unusual in Chile at this time of the year, also caused landslides in the capital and some other cities.

In the capital's financial district of Providencia, the Mapocho river overflowed and flooded shops, offices and houses. A building under construction fell into the river.

"The matter of responsibility will be addressed once the analysis is completed," said Bachelet.

And water supply to a large part of Santiago was cut off Saturday and would probably remain so until late Sunday, said the president.

The Ministry of Labor will inform people before midnight whether they can go to work (on Monday), the president said, who also urged employers to show flexibility for workers who cannot reach offices or will arrive late.

Schools in the capital will be closed for Monday, she added. Endi