Chilean Floods Drive 35,000 From Homes

SANTIAGO, Chile — Ten people died and about 35,000 were left homeless because of widespread flooding in central Chile that has played havoc with transportation, the National Emergency Office said Wednesday.

The floodwaters have begun to recede, but water supplies to half of Santiago, cut off since Monday night, returned only slowly, and tankers were sent out to take fresh water to poor neighborhoods.

Eight bridges were destroyed and 40 roads cut, including the Pan American Highway, which runs from north to south in this long, narrow country and carries most of its land freight.