A high-tension day unfolded in Santiago this Monday following the intrusion of individuals armed with incendiary devices into the José Victorino Lastarria High School, alongside the publication of a scientific study regarding seismic activity beneath the city.
At the landmark school in Providencia, teachers and students directly confronted a group of individuals who entered the premises carrying Molotov cocktails. The incident took place Monday afternoon when individuals wearing white overalls attempted to disrupt the school day.
The school community reacted immediately to detain and expel the intruders, even going as far as pulling off their hoods. Following the altercation, authorities identified two minors, aged 13 and 15, as participants in the incident.
Police discovered Molotov cocktails, fireworks, and other incendiary devices in one of the school's bathrooms. Colonel Claudio Rosales, of the Santiago Oriente precinct, confirmed the discovery: “There were two minors found with incendiary devices, overalls, and pyrotechnics.”
The 15-year-old was detained pending formal charges, while the 13-year-old was released to his parents due to his legal status as a minor. The Regional Secretary of Public Security, Juan Andrés Barrientos, announced that the government will pursue legal action: “Once the Prosecutor's Office provides instructions, we will most likely file a lawsuit regarding the unrest that occurred.”
Due to the incident, the Municipality of Providencia suspended classes for students from seventh grade through senior year this Tuesday.
Persistent seismic activity beneath the capital
Alongside the unrest, a study by the Catholic University (UC) has detected a cluster of active earthquakes at depths of between 20 and 30 kilometers beneath Santiago.
The study, published in the journalSeismological Research Letters, recorded 1,389 earthquakes, most with a magnitude of less than 3 on the Richter scale. The events are concentrated in a single area, indicating they originate from the same geological source.
Leoncio Cabrera, a professor of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering at UC, explained that this activity shows no signs of stopping. “The results show that this activity, generally of a magnitude below 3, has shown no signs of ceasing, suggesting a deep and long-lasting geological process,” the academic stated.
According to the expert, this process is exceptional due to its persistence. “We estimate that this source could have been active for more than 30 years, making it a unique site worldwide,” Cabrera noted.
