Four men are removing furniture from an apartment in Tower A of the Miramar Reñaca building in Viña del Mar. They are being evacuated due to the proximity of sinkholes that have formed in the city’s sand dunes in recent weeks. One resident, Trinidad Carreño, 70, recounts how she lost all her belongings and had to leave her home due to the emergency.
Carreño describes how on the day of the incident, she heard a loud noise and, upon looking out onto the balcony, saw water gushing out and workers running south on the street. Shortly after, she witnessed a light post sinking and everything collapsing within seconds. She and her family managed to evacuate the building before a gas leak occurred.
Since then, Carreño and her family have been living with relatives in Olmué. She criticizes the mitigation efforts being carried out by the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) and feels that they are making a mockery of the affected people. She also mentions hearing a statement from the Minister of Public Works that she considers a joke.
Another affected resident, Nicolás Marchant, argues that the sinkholes are the result of poor management by the MOP in their mitigation works. He adds that more people are being affected and that real estate companies and engineers are washing their hands of the situation.
Both Carreño and Marchant lament the situation and the loss of their homes. They are exploring rental options and checking if they have insurance coverage to cover the additional expenses.
The MOP estimates that the mitigation works could last between six and eight months. The affected residents are hopeful of being able to return to their homes once the safety of the building is certified.
Sources: La Tercera