On Saturday, October 10, a missile launched by the Houthis, Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi Arabian authorities reported that at least 12 people were killed, among them four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and residents of the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, and that more than 300 were injured, according to CNN, Newsweek and Al Hurra; a preliminary figure had spoken of about 50 injured. All flights were diverted and airport operations were temporarily suspended. It is the third attack on the same airport this week and the deadliest: two earlier attacks, on Thursday the 8th, had killed three Saudis, among them a Saudia pilot, and damaged an aircraft. The Saudi-led coalition promised a “decisive” response and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the attack “reprehensible”, according to Arab News and CNN. DailyDrop did not see independent confirmation of each victim’s nationality.
A war that had already affected the Strait of Hormuz now reaches a civilian hub in a major capital. If the United States and Saudi Arabia respond with strikes, the conflict could widen and again put pressure on the oil price and on inflation.
Chile imports almost all of its fuel, so a new jump in crude would reach gasoline and diesel prices with a lag of weeks. If you plan to travel with a layover in the Middle East, it is worth checking with your airline about cancellations.
The Saudi coalition and Washington see a terrorist attack on civilians that demands a firm response.
Critics of an escalation warn that widening the war raises the risk of a global energy crisis.
Tomorrow, Monday, markets reopen with this news. What to watch is whether Washington joins the strikes, what oil does and how the dollar reacts. A single attack does not set the direction, but it sets the tone for the week.
CNN, Newsweek, Arab News, Al Hurra (Oct. 10, 2026)
World · Middle EastPress ✓ 4 outlets · toll from Saudi authorities according to CNN, Newsweek, Arab News and Al Hurra
Houthi missile hits Riyadh airport: at least 12 dead and more than 300 injured, according to Saudi Arabia
It is the third attack on the airport in a week and the deadliest. The Saudi coalition promises a response and Trump is weighing joining the strikes.
A missile fired by the Houthis, the Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, October 10. Saudi authorities reported at least 12 dead and more than 300 injured, according to CNN, Newsweek and Al Hurra. All flights were diverted and operations were suspended.
It is the third attack on the same airport this week; earlier, a Saudia pilot was killed. The war had already affected the Strait of Hormuz. The Saudi-led coalition promised a “decisive” response, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it “reprehensible”, according to Arab News and CNN.
Open the story and DailyDrop’s take
By the numbers
12dead, according to Saudi Arabia
300+injured, according to the authorities
3attacks on the airport this week
El Mostrador and T13 gathered the contradictions over the containment nets in the San Carlos de Apoquindo ravine. Louis de Grange, the minister holding two portfolios, first said the nets had been overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event. The mayor of Las Condes, Catalina San Martín, clarified that their installation was to begin on Saturday, that is, they had not yet been put in place, according to BioBioChile. According to T13, the barriers were supposed to be ready in October, but the start of the work was delayed. The contract, worth CLP 652 million according to El Mostrador, was signed in September; BioBioChile speaks of a CLP 754 million investment by the Ministry of Public Works. The Eastern Prosecutor’s Office is investigating responsibility. DailyDrop did not see the official timeline of the contract.
If the nets did not exist, the explanation that the event “overwhelmed” the defenses does not hold, and responsibility shifts toward the execution deadlines, not toward nature. That changes the political and judicial debate.
For people who live at the foot of hills and ravines across the country, the case shows the gap between announced works and installed works. It is worth asking your municipality what mitigation works exist and at what stage they are.
The government says the event was extreme and that the works were under way, in the process of being installed.
The opposition and residents say the public was misinformed and that the delay is a political responsibility.
The key will be the real schedule of the contracts and who delayed the works. The Prosecutor’s Office and Congress should ask for it this week.
El Mostrador, T13, BioBioChile (Oct. 9–10, 2026)
Society · EmergencyPress ✓ 3 outlets · contradictions according to El Mostrador, T13 and BioBioChile
After the mudslide, the government claimed there were containment nets that were never installed
El Mostrador and T13 gathered the contradictions over the containment nets: Louis de Grange, the minister holding two portfolios, said they had been overwhelmed, but Mayor Catalina San Martín clarified that their installation in the ravine was to begin on Saturday, according to BioBioChile.
According to T13, the barriers were supposed to be ready in October, but the work was delayed. DailyDrop did not see the official timeline of the contract.
Open the story and DailyDrop’s take
Word of the day
mitigationreducing a riskWorks or measures that reduce the damage of a disaster, such as nets or walls that hold back mud and rocks.