Duoc UC's San Carlos de Apoquindo campus will welcome students back on Monday, October 26. The campus, located in Las Condes, had been closed since Thursday, October 8, when the mudslide that affected the municipality entered its premises.
According to BioBioChile, the institution confirmed the date after completing debris removal, cleaning, sanitization and work to make the facilities ready for use. This Friday, October 23, is the last working day the campus will remain closed. That amounts to 17 days without public access, with classes held remotely, according to La Tercera.
On October 8, videos of water and mud entering the campus circulated on social media that same day. La Tercera described the professional institute as one of the organizations most affected by the landslide.
To prepare for the return, Duoc UC inspected the facilities with its occupational health and safety teams, the Chilean Safety Association (ACHS) and external specialists. The aim was to strengthen prevention and emergency response measures.
In addition, hydraulic engineers from the Pontifical Catholic University inspected the campus and identified critical points. The institution addressed them through reinforcement work. The main measure was reinforcing the parking lot's containment barriers with concrete blocks, steel sections and other elements.
Campus director Sergio Maureira said that throughout the work, "the safety of our educational community remained the priority". He added that they would continue "supporting students, teachers and staff during this return".
On the academic side, the return involves adjustments to some activities and spaces, depending on each program's needs. In most cases, the established schedules, teachers and teaching formats will remain in place. There will be flexibility in assessments during the first few days.
While the campus was closed, Duoc UC moved some essential in-person activities to other campuses. The sources do not specify how many students were affected or the cost of the damage.
As of this Friday, the institute was one of two organizations still closed because of the mudslide. The other is UC Christus Clinic, which still has no reopening date and continues to hold medical consultations remotely. Duoc UC said it would continue monitoring conditions at the campus.
