News

Workers of Coelcha to Face Charges for Santa Juana Fire

Sponsors

• Two employees of the electric company will face charges for the devastating fire that claimed 14 lives and left numerous injured.

The Regional Prosecutor's Office announced the formal charges against two workers of the electric company Coelcha, implicated in the tragic Santa Juana wildfire, which turned out to be the second-largest in Chile's history. The supervisor and a contractor of the company will be accused of 14 counts of involuntary manslaughter and other serious crimes, following an investigation that points to negligence in maintaining vegetation around power lines as the cause of the disaster.

Prosecutor Jorge Lorca, with over 20 years of experience, has led the year-long investigation, revealing that a fallen branch on power lines, amidst a forest plantation in the commune of Nacimiento, triggered the fire. Expert reports indicate this incident could have been avoided with proper maintenance, a responsibility that falls on Coelcha, although the company denies the allegations.

Regional Prosecutor Marcela Cartagena confirmed that the formal charges against the two employees have been requested, and the scheduling of the hearing, estimated to take place in March, is awaited. In addition to involuntary manslaughter, the accused face charges for severe and very severe injuries, as well as violations of the forest law.

The Santa Juana community and the affected families hope that justice will clarify responsibilities and establish the necessary measures to prevent future disasters of this magnitude.