SANTIAGO, CHILE – Five foreign tourists, including one British woman, two Germans, and two Mexicans, were confirmed dead on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, after a severe blizzard struck Chile's renowned Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia. The group was part of a larger party of nine that went missing on Monday, November 17, amid extreme weather conditions that included heavy snowfall and winds gusting up to 193 kilometres per hour (120 mph), equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.

Chilean authorities reported that four other members of the group were rescued alive from a remote mountainous area. A major search and rescue operation involving 24 personnel from the police, military, and mountain rescue teams was launched, though efforts were severely hampered by the adverse weather, which grounded helicopters.

José Antonio Ruiz, the presidential delegate for the Magallanes region, confirmed the fatalities and nationalities on Tuesday afternoon, local time. "We are in the process of evacuation and consular procedures, due to the nationality of these people," Ruiz stated, adding that the recovery of the bodies would proceed once weather conditions improved sufficiently for aircraft to operate safely. Chile's President, Gabriel Boric, extended his condolences to the families of the victims via social media, assuring them of the full support of Chilean institutions.

The tourists reportedly became lost near the Los Perros campsite, a remote location accessible only by a four- to five-hour trek from the nearest point reachable by vehicle, according to Guillermo Ruiz, the presidential delegate for the province of Ultima Esperanza. An urgent SOS message posted on a social media group on Monday evening described the desperate situation, stating, "We are snowed in and people are still out on the pass. Very strong wind > 120 mph."

Global Context: Adventure Tourism and Climate Risks

While there are no reports of Kenyan nationals involved, the tragedy in Patagonia serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers of adventure tourism, a sector that attracts thrill-seekers to remote and challenging environments worldwide, including in Kenya. The incident underscores the vulnerability of even popular and well-trodden tourist destinations to sudden, extreme weather events, a phenomenon that climate scientists have increasingly linked to global climate change.

The United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization have noted a global increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, which poses a significant threat to the tourism industry. These events can lead to travel disruptions, damage to infrastructure, and, as seen in Chile, tragic loss of life. For tourism-dependent economies, the impact can be severe, affecting both visitor safety and local livelihoods.

Torres del Paine: A Magnet for Global Tourists

Torres del Paine National Park, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve established in 1978, is celebrated for its dramatic granite peaks, glaciers, and unique wildlife. Located approximately 2,800 kilometers south of Santiago, the park is one of Chile's largest and most visited protected areas. In 2024, the reserve saw a significant increase in visitors, welcoming more than 367,000 tourists, a rise of nearly two-thirds compared to the previous year, according to Chile's national forestry body, CONAF. Despite its popularity, the park's history includes several major incidents, notably large fires in 2005 and 2011 caused by tourists that burned tens of thousands of hectares. This latest incident, however, highlights the dangers posed not by human error, but by the formidable and unpredictable forces of nature in one of the world's most spectacular wilderness areas.