In Argentina, a storm with 150 km/h winds has claimed 14 lives
A storm with heavy rain and winds reaching 150 km/h (93 mph) wreaked havoc in eastern Argentina, resulting in the tragic loss of fourteen lives. The port city of Bahia Blanca, situated approximately 570 km (355 miles) south of Buenos Aires, bore the brunt of the storm on Saturday, causing structural damage, power outages, and subsequent chaos as it progressed towards the capital on Sunday.
The disaster unfolded just a week after the inauguration of new president Javier Milei. The storm's impact extended into neighboring Uruguay, claiming the lives of two more individuals. Reports from officials indicated that upon hitting Bahia Blanca, the storm led to the collapse of a sports center's roof during a roller skating competition, resulting in the tragic death of 13 people. Firefighters at the scene worked tirelessly to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble, and an additional 14 individuals sustained injuries.
An orange weather alert, signifying a substantial threat to life and property, was issued in parts of Buenos Aires province on Saturday night. In the town of Moreno, a suburb of Buenos Aires, another fatality occurred when a woman was struck by a falling tree branch early on Sunday. Footage captured near Buenos Aires' Aeroparque airport revealed the storm's intensity, with a parked plane being buffeted by powerful winds and boarding stairs careening across a runway, colliding with a luggage carrier.
Clorrie Yeomans, a 25-year-old visitor from the UK currently in Argentina, recounted a harrowing experience of being awakened in her central Buenos Aires apartment around 03:00 local time (06:00 GMT). She described the ferocity of the wind, likening it to a hurricane, prompting her to seek refuge in the bathroom out of fear that a tree might collapse onto her balcony. On Sunday morning, the vicinity surrounding her apartment remained eerily quiet, as numerous residents hesitated to venture outside, narrated Clorrie Yeomans. She observed scattered windscreens on the ground, victims of the powerful gusts. Some cars had been completely crushed, and entire streets were impassable due to fallen trees and branches.
Yeomans recounted the aftermath, highlighting the entangled chaos of cables brought down by the uprooted trees, now hanging precariously in the streets. However, by Sunday evening, restorative efforts were underway, with many streets already being cleared, and certain public transportation services resuming. In response to the crisis, President Milei, accompanied by several ministers, traveled to Bahia Blanca on Sunday to assess the extent of the damage. The president's office affirmed that the government was collaborating with provincial and municipal authorities to provide assistance to the victims and manage the aftermath.
Reports from authorities in Uruguay, located immediately north of Buenos Aires, revealed that the storm also wreaked havoc in their region, tearing off roofs and uprooting trees. Tragically, two individuals lost their lives in the early hours of Sunday as a result of the storm's impact.
