An avalanche that struck on Saturday, 17 October 2026, left four people dead and four others injured, according to Senapred, Chile's national disaster management agency. The avalanche descended on the Laguna del Inca area of the Andes and came to rest close to the Portillo ski centre, within the municipality of Los Andes in the Valparaíso Region. The territory sits at elevation along the frontier shared with Argentina, occupying a stretch of the Andes range.
The avalanche came down at around 14:45 local time — 17:45 GMT. Senapred updated its casualty figures to four people dead and four others wounded, with that announcement issued at 16:48 local time — 19:48 GMT. According to a statement from Senapred's regional director, Christian Cardemil, the total number of people involved stood at eight.
Casualty figures circulated unevenly in the hours after the incident. Initial accounts put the toll at two fatalities and one person unaccounted for, while a Bomberos commander based in Los Andes placed the number of deaths at three. By late afternoon, the count of those affected had climbed to the figures confirmed by Senapred.
According to the regional presidential delegate, Manuel Millones, everyone caught up in the incident held Chilean nationality, with no foreign nationals among them. Millones characterised the individuals as people passing through on a visit rather than registered guests of the Portillo hotel. According to the hotel owner's account, as relayed by Millones, people had been told to stay out of that area.
No avalanche-specific advisory had been put in place at the time of the incident, though a weather alert covering the wider region remained active. Among the agencies that mobilised for the operation were Bomberos, Carabineros, the police air brigade, SAMU medical responders, and Senapred. Involvement of the Sistema Integrado Cristo Redentor was also noted in connection with the response.
Helicopters carried the injured to a makeshift medical facility set up at a stadium in Los Andes. Ambulances then transported them to medical facilities in both Los Andes and San Felipe. Those overseeing the response had not discounted the possibility of additional people in the area being affected.
The identities and ages of those who died had yet to be disclosed. No determination had been reached regarding the cause of the avalanche. As of the time the report was filed, no formal inquiry into the matter had been opened. Whether any additional people remained unaccounted for in the vicinity had yet to be established, and whether the eight individuals had been moving as a group or in separate parties also remained unknown.
Portillo is an established alpine destination in the Chilean Andes. Assessors noted substantial snowpack build-up across the cordillera as a contributing factor to elevated terrain risk during the spring period. Although no avalanche-specific advisory had been issued, a broader weather alert covering the area remained active at the time of the incident.
