Chile rains leave 13 dead, 7 missing, authorities say

SANTIAGO, July 21 (Reuters) - The heavy rains that have hit much of Chile have left 13 people dead and seven missing, authorities said on Tuesday, while the government said it would seek sanctions on electricity distributors for sustained power outages.

Storms have struck from the country's central region down to the south, causing widespread flooding, road closures and damage to homes.

“Waterways, streams, and riverbanks have been weakened by the rainfall over the past few days; there is still a risk of rising water levels in some of them," said Alicia Cebrian, head of Chile's Senapred emergency office.

Cebrian added that, in addition to the casualties, 2,281 people have been displaced, 81 homes have been destroyed and 2,761 have sustained major damage, while 87,000 people remain without electricity.

The minister of the interior, Claudio Alvarado, said the government plans to initiate disciplinary proceedings against electricity distribution companies for delays in restoring service.

Lessons were suspended in schools across several municipalities in four regions.

Although most of the major copper and lithium mining companies are located in the northernmost part of the country, which has not been affected by the bad weather, some operations in the region have had to temporarily scale back their activities due to the conditions.

(Reporting by Fabian Cambero, Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)