Post date: Feb 22, 2012 12:11:44 AM
ARICA, CHILE (FEBRUARY 21, 2012) (TVN) - Flooding rivers in Peru and Chile have ruined houses, displaced people, and turned up something more sinister: land mines which had shut down the border between the two countries on Tuesday (February 21) for the second straight day.
Hundreds stranded at Peru-Chile border for second day as rains uncover land mines.
Anti-personnel and anti-tank mines laid around Chile's Lluta river watershed in the 1970s, when tensions ran high between the two countries, have surfaced, officials said.
As a precaution, Chile blew up four mines found by the highway on Monday that links the Peruvian city of Tacna with Arica in Chile.
Chile's Defence Minister Andres Allamand said the border will be closed for at least one more day.
"The security norms will be maintained. I insist that the area we have outlined is a very high risk area because of the reasons I explained earlier," he said.
Soldiers stood combed the Chilean side of the border for mines while Allamand consulted with local military officials.
The two cities rely on the highway to trade everything from food to medicine, a flow that will resume on Wednesday.
"We will completely reopen the highway tomorrow at 2200 (0100GMT). At the time, we will be use the highway at night with extreme caution. The police will inform people at that time who are using the main road," the defence minster added.
Hundreds of travellers camped out at the bus station in Tacna, sleeping on benches as they awaited news.
Officials were worried that more mines might wash down to the road.
Chilean tourists took to Chile's consulate to look for shelter and explanations.
"We came to try to find a way to get back to Chile and found chaos. There are a lot of people. (Journalist asking: What happened?) There's bomb close to the border, an anti-tank mine that has a radius of 100 metres if it explodes. It's blocking the way for anyone who wants to cross the border," said one unidentified Chilean tourist.
Though trade and investment flows between the two fast-growing economies are strong, Peru and Chile have sparred over their border since Chile won the 1879-1883 War of the Pacific.
Peru has taken a maritime territory dispute with Chile to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Chile evacuated workers and residents near the Lluta river.