The government of Argentina declared three days of national mourning after strong floods in the country resulted in the death of 16 people. announced. In the city of Bahía Blanca, a year's worth of rain fell in just a few hours, flooding entire neighborhoods. 963 people have been evacuated to safety.
During the tragic event, two girls, one and five years old, were swept away by the floodwaters. There are still reports of people missing.
On Friday, the amount of rain that Bahía Blanca city and its surroundings receive in a year fell in just a few hours. This major port city located in the south of Buenos Aires province was submerged under water as swift floodwaters engulfed entire neighborhoods.
According to Security Minister Javier Alonso, among the deceased were two young girls who had climbed onto the roof of a car with their mother trying to escape the water, but were swept away by the strong current. Their mother was rescued.
Search and rescue operations are continuing, with water levels still exceeding one meter in some areas.
Bahía Blanca's Mayor Federico Susbielles announced at a press conference that the floods have caused $400 million in damages to infrastructure. He suggested that the death toll could rise as search efforts are still ongoing.
The city administration was forced to temporarily cut off electricity supply due to the large volume of water accumulated as a result of the heavy rain.
Argentine President Javier Milei officially declared three days of national mourning on Sunday and emphasized the government's mobilization to assist those affected.
The government announced the allocation of 10 billion pesos (approximately 9.2 million dollars at the official rate) for emergency restoration work.
Argentine football star Lionel Messi expressed his condolences to the victims' families on his Instagram page:
"I wish strength to everyone facing difficulties in these hard times."
Environmental policy expert Andrea Dufourg stressed that this disaster is a clear example of climate change.
"Unfortunately, such events will continue... Our only option is to prepare our cities, inform the population, and establish effective early warning systems," — she said.
Bahía Blanca has previously suffered from severe natural disasters. Specifically, a storm in December 2023 claimed the lives of 13 people and caused significant damage to infrastructure.
Abdulloh Sayyid
