President José Antonio Kast spoke of a tragedy that was leaving the entire country in mourning.Image: www.imago-images.de
July 13, 2026, 12:38 a.mJuly 13, 2026, 12:38 a.m
In Chile, a driver lost control of his car at a popular street market in the coastal town of Viña del Mar, killing six people. Seven others were injured in the accident, including two babies, the presidential representative in the Valparaíso region, Manuel Millones, told TVN. Investigations are ongoing to clarify the circumstances of the incident.
President José Antonio Kast spoke of a tragedy that was leaving the entire country in mourning. On Platform X, he expressed his condolences to the victims’ families. “All state institutions are committed to helping those affected and fully clarifying responsibility for this painful event,” wrote the head of state.
The driver arrested after the incident was a noncommissioned officer in the infantry navy who was traveling for private purposes outside of his duty hours, the navy said. The man explained that he had fainted and couldn’t remember anything, TVN reported. An eyewitness said the driver drove at high speed onto the sidewalk where people, including presumably street vendors, were. (sda/dpa)