RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — Two Israeli women were killed and 14 other Israeli tourists were injured when their boat capsized on a river in Chile.
The accident happened late Saturday during a rafting tour in the Torres del Paine national park, near the Serrano Glacier in the Magallanes Region.
The dead Israelis were aged 61 and 71. Four of the injured tourists — the group was in their 60s and 70s — are reported to be in serious condition.
“All the wounded have been taken to hospitals in southern Chile and are now being cared for,” Israel’s ambassador to Chile, Eldad Hayet, told reporters. Israeli consul Leon Suissa visited the victims in the hospital on Sunday.
Hayet said the heavy rains that recently affected the region probably caused stronger currents. The boat overturned after the driver lost control and hit a rock, according to the Chilean media. The course, where the Serrano River is wide and quiet, is considered safe.
The Torres del Paine National Park is one of the main tourist attractions in the southern zone of Chile and receives thousands of tourists every year.
The 16 tourists left Israel on Feb. 18 for a 23-day tour to South America, including Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
