Heavy rains and fierce storms pounded the Argentine port city of Bahia Blanca, southwest of the capital Buenos Aires, killing six people and inundating much of the city with water, officials and local news said on Friday.
The persistent rain elicited an emergency response, resulting in evacuations from homes and healthcare facilities. Social media video showed harrowing scenes of mothers taking their infants to safety from a submerged hospital. Authorities had confirmed one fatality at an intersection of a highway and were warning that more deaths were possible. Local sources reported five further fatalities as torrential rains flooded cars through roads, knocked trees over, and left hundreds of people without electricity.
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Bahia Blanca’s town hall termed the phenomenon a “natural catastrophe” with extensive sections of the city flooded following seven consecutive hours of relentless rain. The port town with a population of about 300,000 inhabitants is located in Buenos Aires province, roughly 600 kilometers (373 miles) from Buenos Aires.
Meteorologists warned of deteriorating weather, with yet another storm front due later on Friday. The national and provincial authorities initiated rescue efforts to help stricken residents following over 200 millimeters (7.87 inches) of rain flooding the city within hours.
In the wake of the crisis, authorities shut down Bahia Blanca’s domestic airport, while major highways that lead to the city were badly damaged. Rescue officials are doing their best to reconnect essential services and deliver aid to people who were affected by the disaster.
