A vehicle driven by an off-duty Chilean Navy officer forcefully entered an open-air market in the coastal city of Viña del Mar, causing the death of at least six people and injuring seven others.
The accident occurred on Sunday, July 12. The Chilean Navy issued an official statement confirming the incident but did not specify the exact number of casualties. However, local media sources report that six people lost their lives and seven others were injured.
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In videos shared on social media, a white car is seen speeding into the market area, hitting shoppers and vendor stalls. Other recordings capture the moment the driver is quickly removed and escorted to a police car, while an angry crowd follows shouting.
Colonel Jorge Guaita, head of the Viña del Mar Police, announced that the driver claims to have completely lost memory of the event. He also stressed that investigations are ongoing to clarify the full circumstances of this tragedy.
Based on gathered testimonies, the vehicle was traveling in its lane but at an extremely high speed. After jumping the sidewalk, the car went into a powerful spin and stopped only after hitting a bus stop, a fact that, according to authorities, prevented an even worse disaster.
Chilean President José Antonio Kast reacted to the event via a post on social network X, expressing his condolences to the victims’ families and solidarity with the injured.
“All of Chile is in mourning because of the tragedy in Viña del Mar. State bodies are working to assist those affected and to clarify with maximum transparency the responsibilities for this painful event,” he wrote in his message.
