Bahía Blanca in Argentina hit by deadly floods
The Argentinian port city of Bahía Blanca has been struck by deadly floods which have killed over a dozen people. Eight hours of continuous rainfall on Friday destroyed roads as well as bridges. It left buildings flooded and forced large parts of the city to do without electricity.
More than 1,100 people in Bahía Blanca had to flee their homes. Newborn babies in a hospital had to be evacuated as a result of the floods.
City officials warned on Saturday that the death toll could rise soon. The provincial government announced that it would be sending helicopters along with ambulances. It also said it would send food and water. The coast guard meanwhile had been helping in rescue efforts.
More than 400mm (15.7 inches) of rain had been falling on Bahía Blanca on Friday. Normally, it sees around 600-650mm of rain in a year. Pictures posted on social media showed cars being carried away by the raging flood waters.
Bahía Blanca is a city with a population of over 330,000. It is a major port in the south western part of the Buenos Aires province in Argentina.
“We have to rebuild a city,” Provincial government minister Carlos Bianco told local radio. “There are people who lost everything.”
Argentina’s defence minister Luis Petri said that the country’s president Javier Milei has requested a full mobilisation of all resources. This includes the armed forces.
“We are on the ground, working with the municipality and accompanying those affected so that assistance arrives quickly and where it is most needed,” he said.
The president’s spokesperson Manuel Adorni revealed that Milei had cancelled his scheduled activities, though he did not say whether he would be travelling to the city.
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