"Absolutely critical"

Argentinian city flooded – 13 dead

Bahía Blanca was completely under water

(Bild: Pablo Presti)

At least 13 people have died in the floods in the Argentinian city of Bahía Blanca. The situation is "absolutely critical" and the city has been "destroyed", said Security Minister Patricia Bullrich in a radio interview. 

Seven have already been identified, several media reported, citing the security minister of the province of Buenos Aires, Javier Alonso.

(Bild: PABLO PRESTI)

Number of missing persons uncertain
Although the water has receded overall, many parts of the city are still flooded. According to the minister, 1,200 people were evacuated. It is not possible to say how many people are missing, as many residents are cut off from communication because there is no electricity to charge cell phones.

A severe storm hit the city of around 330,000 inhabitants in the south of the province of Buenos Aires on the Atlantic coast on Friday. According to the weather service, 210 millimetres of precipitation per square meter were measured in Bahía Blanca within 24 hours - that is around a third of the average amount of rainfall per year.

(Bild: PABLO PRESTI)

Bahía Blancawas completely under water
Bahía Blanca was almost completely under water as a result. Roads and houses were flooded, hospitals were evacuated and dozens of families sought shelter in emergency shelters. Public transport was suspended and the airport was closed.

The government sent police officers and soldiers to help with the rescue work in the city, which is located 600 kilometers south of Buenos Aires, and approved aid amounting to 10 billion pesos (around 8.6 million euros at the official exchange rate) to repair the damage.