BUENOS AIRES, Aug 18 (Reuters) – An international crossing in the Andes mountain range that connects Argentina with Chile reopened on Tuesday after being closed for a record 34 days due to heavy snowfall and strong winds during the El Niño phenomenon.
The closure of the Cristo Redentor tunnel had left hundreds of trucks stranded. Those on the Argentine side were authorized to move in the first hours of the reopening, according to a statement from the Argentine government.
Local media showed long lines of snow-covered trucks in the Andean province of Mendoza, which began to slowly move again after the lifting of the shutdown, which surpassed a 26-day one in 2023.
Climate experts have warned that a more intense than usual El Niño phenomenon will take place through the first few months of 2027 and that it could generate floods in Peru, Argentina and southern Brazil as well as increase snowfall in the Andes mountain range.
(Reporting by Nicolás Misculin; Writing by Leila Miller; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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