Rare snowfall falls in dry desert

WASHINGTON: A cold wave in Chile has brought snow to the Atacama desert, a region known for being the driest place in the world.

According to the national emergency centre in Chile, the area had not seen this amount of snow in close to 20 years.

Some areas received up to 80 centimeters (32 inches) of snow, leading to closed roads and stuck vehicles.

According to local media, authorities rescued 36 people on Tuesday, whose bus had been stuck in heavy snow.


Local media reported that the passengers may have endured freezing temperatures for up to 48 hours, before being rescued.