A powerful snowstorm in Torres del Paine National Park, one of Patagonia’s most remote and rugged regions, has claimed the lives of five foreign tourists, Chilean authorities announced on Tuesday.

According to Jose Antonio Ruiz, the presidential delegate for the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region, the victims were all members of an international tour group. They have been identified as two Mexican nationals, two German nationals, and a British woman.

The group reportedly became lost in the Los Perros sector, an isolated area located roughly 11 kilometers from the entrance of the national park. The region is known for harsh weather, steep terrain, and rapid climate changes—conditions that worsened when the unexpected snowstorm struck.

Ruiz said that recovery efforts remain challenging due to the severe weather and terrain.

“Unfortunately, these five victims are still in the phase of evacuation planning and consular procedures due to their nationalities,” Ruiz stated.

Authorities plan to remove the bodies by helicopter, but Ruiz emphasized that the area is “extremely difficult to access” and evacuation will only proceed once conditions become safe for air operations.

Local officials are coordinating with foreign consulates to handle identification, repatriation, and communication with families, while emergency teams remain on standby awaiting a weather window to begin the evacuation.

The incident has sparked renewed discussions about safety protocols and weather warning systems for visitors to Torres del Paine—a global trekking destination known for its beauty but also its unpredictable and often unforgiving climate. (ILKHA)