A violent storm with heavy rains and winds gusting up to 150 km/ha killed at least thirteen people and caused widespread destruction in several cities in central Argentina this weekend, including the capital, according to authorities .
The most serious episode occurred in the port city of Bahia Blanca (600 km southwest of Buenos Aires), where the storm caused the roof of a sports club to collapse on Saturday, killing 13 people. and 14 seriously injured, according to the municipality.
The victims were surprised by the storm while a competition was taking place at the Bahiense del Norte club, where former world basketball star Manu Ginóbili trains. “(I am) very sad for what my club, my city and the region are going through”said the athlete on social networks. Much of the city was left without power and suffered extensive damage.
President Javier Milei expressed “his most sincere condolences” to the victims and his cabinet reported that the government “monitored the delicate situation generated” by the storm that hit the province of Buenos Aires, with winds “exceeding 150 km/h”. “The government is working with provincial and municipal authorities to help victims and limit the damage”declared the presidential office.
Damage in Buenos Aires
The National Weather Service has issued an alert ” orange “ in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Entre Rios, Cordoba and Santa Fe (central-east), with precipitation of up to 130 mm, an alert ” YELLOW “ for six other provinces and predicted the advance of storms towards the north. The winds were generated by “a large mass of warm, humid air activated by the passage of a cold front”but without a specific link with the current El Niño phenomenon, meteorologist Leo DeBenedictis explained to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
The city of Buenos Aires suffered early Sunday morning from winds of nearly 100 km/h, heavy rains and power outages, Mayor Jorge Macri described. The capital woke up to 360 felled trees, which destroyed vehicles, cut cables, brought down public lights, and disrupted traffic. The city’s emergency services worked hard.
In the Palermo district, at least three people were injured in the early hours of the morning while attending a concert, where a stage collapsed, according to organizers. Thirteen other people were injured at the Palermo racetrack, the SAME emergency service reported.
Some suburbs of the capital were also affected by the storm, with precipitation reaching 40 mm in a few hours, a third of the historical average for the month of December, noted the National Weather Service. The town of San Isidro, 20 km north of Buenos Aires, was partially isolated by falling trees, AFP noted.