At least ten people have been confirmed dead in Argentina, according to preliminary reports from local authorities, as a result of heavy rainfall that began early Friday in the coastal city of Bahía Blanca, located 600 km south of Buenos Aires.
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According to officials, more than 300 millimeters of rain fell within about six hours, leading to flooding in many streets and forcing over a thousand people to evacuate from this city with a population of around 350,000.
The municipality emphasized that "we cannot rule out the possibility of more casualties due to the magnitude of the climate disaster."
By midday Friday, authorities reported that "a large part of the city was under water" after "seven hours of continuous heavy rain," which subsided by noon.
Federico Susbielles, the mayor of Bahía Blanca, said in a video message on X that "the rain has stopped," but waterlogged roads still prevent people from accessing different parts of the city. He also mentioned that electricity was cut off "for safety reasons."
Television footage showed nurses and medical staff, with help from the army, evacuating newborn babies from the José Peña Hospital, the largest hospital in the city, which was being cleared.
The Bahía Blanca municipality canceled all activities in the city on Friday and urged residents to stay indoors until further notice. Only "heavy vehicles" were allowed to move in preparation for rescue operations.
The Bahía Blanca airport has been closed until further notice.
In an interview with the "LN" channel, a resident of Bahía Blanca described how she and her children sought refuge in a truck as the water levels rose in the street and then inside her home. Flaviet Vieira Romero said, "We put the dogs on the roof, but the children are in the truck, and we stayed inside it. There is still about a meter of water, and we are waiting for it to subside so we can move to a safer place." She added, "All the neighbors have gone up to their roofs."
The city has previously experienced extreme weather events. At the end of 2023, a violent storm with heavy rains and winds reaching speeds of 150 km/h led to the collapse of a sports club's roof, killing thirteen people.
