The death toll from the violent storm hitting Chile has risen to at least 13, according to a new tally announced by the government, while more than 60,000 people remain isolated due to road closures.

The director of the National Emergency Office, Alicia Cebrián, told reporters: 'We have counted 13 people, while seven others remain missing.' The storm, which began on July 15, is hitting the Coquimbo and Atacama regions in the north of the country, which rarely experience heavy rainfall.

The storm has destroyed or damaged about 2,800 homes, displaced around 2,200 people, and isolated more than 60,000, after river floods prevented access to several villages.