Snow, ice and strong winds have forced closures of roads and impacted trade between Argentina and Chile. File Photo by Carlos Alvear/EPA
BUENOS AIRES, Aug. 11 (UPI) -- More than 5,000 trucks remain stranded along the Argentina-Chile border as snow, ice and strong winds have forced closures of roads and more than 15 border crossings, while authorities step up emergency operations across several areas of the Andes.
On the Argentine side, nearly 3,000 trucks are waiting for major border crossings to reopen in the western provinces of Mendoza and Neuquén and the Patagonian provinces of Río Negro and Santa Cruz. Some crossings have been closed since mid-July, with no date set for reopening.
The affected crossings include Jama, Socompa, San Francisco, Pircas Negras, Pascua Lama, Cristo Redentor and Pehuenche, according to Argentina's Security Ministry.
The Cristo Redentor crossing in Mendoza, one of the main land routes between Argentina and Chile, is among the most significant closures for international freight. The route connects the Argentine city of Mendoza with the Los Andes area of Chile and is part of a major trade corridor between the two countries.
