29-01-2016 07:00

Waves measuring as high as 5 meters or 16 feet battered the coast of Chile over the weekend, as powerful El Niño storms wreaked havoc in the South American country.

In the coastal resort town of Viña del Mar, the passengers of this civil defence SUV were lucky to escape with their lives after a giant wave knocked the vehicle over and dragged it through the water. Footage aired by Chile’s TBN network shows how passers-by ran to the aid of the SUV’s occupants and helped them to get out.

Elsewhere, Chilean officials were forced to shut oceanfront roads and to fly red flags on beaches to stop people from swimming.

The massive waves, which are reportedly the biggest in this region since 2003, damaged cars and toppled street lamps.

Difficult words: batter (to hit many times), wreak (to cause), havoc (large destruction), resort (a popular tourist area), SUV (a sport utility vehicle), drag (to push), footage (video), aid (to help), occupant (a person who is inside of something), topple (to bring down).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com