Strong wind gusts and rain tore off parts of the structure at Terminal Sur, in the municipality of Estación Central, on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 13. Lightweight objects also went flying from the intercity bus terminal.
According to BioBioChile, the emergency occurred around the terminal and raised concerns about safety in the area. At the time of its initial report, the outlet said it was unknown whether anyone had been injured or whether there was significant damage.
Emol reported that several people shared videos on social media of the roof being blown off. The footage shows parts of the bus terminal's structure breaking away under the effects of wind and rain.
One of those videos was shared by the Chilean Geoscientific Network, which reported in a post on X that structures and lightweight objects were being sent flying through the air from the terminal, with footage shared by its community.
The sources consulted do not include a statement from the Chilean Meteorological Directorate (DMC) on the possible formation of a tornado or another local phenomenon. There is also no official damage assessment for the terminal at this time.
The incident occurred amid the frontal system affecting the Metropolitan Region. Hailstorms, thunderstorms and power outages were reported in several municipalities, according to Emol.
In response to those reports, the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) declared a red alert for the entire region. The measure allows all available resources to be mobilized to bring the situation under control, given the extent and severity of the event.
The National Geology and Mining Service (Sernageomin) warned in its technical bulletin that the likelihood of debris flows and landslides is moderate to high in the Andean foothills. It rated the likelihood as moderate in the Central Valley, low to moderate in the Andes and low in the Coastal Range.