Railway bridge in Itata severely damaged by alleged explosive attack in Ñuble

June 13, 2023 0 Comments Last News Sin tags

During the morning of this Tuesday, residents of the town of Confluencia, in the commune of Ñipas, noticed that the railway bridge crossing over the Itata River was severely damaged, allegedly caused by explosive devices, as the rails were broken and the structure damaged.

Residents reported waking up during the early hours to a loud explosion, leading them to believe something had occurred inside the cellulose plant in Nueva Aldea, located at kilometer 22, parallel to the Itata highway.

However, at dawn, they realized that the railway bridge was destroyed, prompting them to inform authorities and initiate an investigation.

According to Juan Gatica, president of the Neighborhood Council of the area, around 3:00 a.m., "a terrible noise was heard. I have a brother who works at Colegio Confluencia, lives in Nueva Aldea, crosses the train bridge every day, and it turns out he was coming here. He called me in the morning and said: 'This is an attack because the rails are cut.'"

"I told him to upload a video, which is the one circulating. Not only were the rails cut: the planks were shattered, and the beams were cut as if done by hand," he stated.

SOUTH METROPOLITAN PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE TO LEAD INVESTIGATION

The regional presidential delegate of Ñuble, Gabriel Pradenas, stated that "the Metropolitan Prosecutor's Office will take action and proceed with all events surrounding these incidents. We also urge the community not to approach the explosion site, as GOPE has defined an expanded safety perimeter to prevent people from being exposed to risk."

"The call is to stay away. We will secure the area and expand the perimeter to minimize risks. Additionally, personnel from the Metropolitan Region’s Bomb Squad will arrive to rule out any remaining explosive devices," the authority added.

After arriving at the perimeter, Álvaro Hermosilla, chief prosecutor of Criminal Analysis and Investigative Focuses in Ñuble, indicated that attackers likely detonated an explosive device, "given the extent of the damage—this is part of the investigation. GOPE is working at the scene, conducting necessary examinations to determine the nature and type of materials used."

South Metropolitan Prosecutor Héctor Barros added that he assigned a specialized team from the High Complexity and Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office in the capital "to focus on investigating the incident."

Additionally, "we have issued—in coordination with the Ñuble Prosecutor’s Office—initial instructions for OS9, Labocar, and Carabineros' GOPE to lead the investigation and identify potential perpetrators."

According to a statement from EFE Sur, the situation only affects freight transport, not passenger services.

CONCERN AMONG LAWMAKERS

Regional deputy Loreto Carvajal (PPD) argued that "if the network is expanding with these concrete events, we will obviously demand all safeguards, resources, and whatever is necessary to prevent Ñuble from becoming a hotspot for the spread of violence from the Southern Macrozone."

Her UDI counterpart Cristóbal Martínez emphasized that "this is a peaceful region; we are not accustomed to these terrorist attacks," adding that the cellulose plant near the affected structure "is the main source of employment in Itata Province, and this is the third explosive device incident in less than four days."

President Boric will meet again with Southern Macrozone lawmakers tonight and is also scheduled to return to La Araucanía in the coming days.

Source:www.cooperativa.cl