Hundreds of trucks were blocked by heavy snowfall on Monday (June 6) near a primary Chilean / Argentine border crossing just north of Santiago.

Local authorities said that at least a thousand trucks were stranded for hours in Argentine territory waiting to cross over into Chile. Many were stuck along the side of the road.

“We use a little wire to get what we can of water, we have to do what we can just for a little bit of water because we ran out. It’s been complicated,” said one truck driver

According to reports, the snow reached approximately one and a half meters in some locations (4.92 feet). Avalanches made the situation worse according to Los Andes governor Maria Victoria Rodriguez.

“Clearing out the passage will take some time because of the magnitude and the amount of snowfall. I have been told that our authorities have discovered between 14 to 15 different avalanches of various sizes in different areas along the international route,” she said.

For years, Chile and Argentina have been discussing building a tunnel to allow unfettered transit throughout the year, but no action has been taken.

Some 90 percent of trade between Chile and Argentina passes through this border crossing, according to authorities.

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