Two climbers killed and a third trapped after avalanche floods Chilean lake
Two mountaineers died and another remains underwater after an avalanche swept their group into a frozen lake at Laguna del Inca in the Chilean Andes.
A snow slide hit a group of seven climbers on the slopes of Cerro Los Tres Hermanos near the Portillo ski centre, driving them into the frozen waters of Laguna del Inca. The avalanche claimed the lives of Magdalena Acuña Jiménez, 56, daughter of well-known Chilean actress Luz Jiménez, and landscape photographer Rodrigo Peña Troncoso, 36; a third victim’s body remains lodged under the ice. Four other members were rescued, treated for hypothermia and later discharged without serious injury.
More than 40 rescuers from multiple agencies worked the operation before suspending it because of ongoing avalanche danger and severe weather. The Andino Club Pamir, to which the deceased belonged, expressed condolences. Search for the remaining body is postponed until conditions improve.
Why it matters
Highlights the lethal risk of avalanches and the challenges of rescue in high-altitude mountain environments.
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