There will be no classes this Tuesday, October 13, at 21 educational institutions in Las Condes, including 12 schools and nine preschools. The municipality continues to remove mud and other debris left by the mudslide on Thursday, October 8.
The decision was made by the Metropolitan Region's Regional Ministerial Secretariat (Seremi) of Education, according to BioBioChile. The authority explained that the aim is to "facilitate removal work" and protect the safety of school communities in the affected areas.
The announcement was expanded in two stages. On Sunday, the secretariat reported that only 12 schools would suspend classes. On Monday, October 12, it added nine preschools, bringing the total to 21 institutions.
The schools suspending classes are San Francisco del Alba, Scuola Italiana Vittorio Montiglio, San Francisco de Asís, Wenlock, Redland, Cordillera de Las Condes, William Kilpatrick, Padre Hurtado y Juanita de los Andes, Cumbres, Nuestra Señora del Loreto, Virgen de Pompeya and San Nicolás de Myra.
CNN Chile published the list of preschools: Ganbaru, Bambú, Waldorf Gabriela Mistral, El Otoñal, Montessori Rayhue IV, General Blanche, El Alba, Runningbrook and Greenery House.
The suspension applies only to Las Condes. At the time of reporting, the secretariat had not announced similar measures in other municipalities in the region.
The mudslide also caused friction between officials. Las Condes Mayor Catalina San Martín criticized Regional Governor Claudio Orrego for not attending the Regional Committee for Disaster Risk Management (Cogrid). The governor's office responded that Orrego was present on the first day and then traveled to Atacama.
For now, the measure applies only to this Tuesday, October 13. The secretariat has not announced whether the suspension will extend to the following days.
