Friday, April 6, 2012

Death toll rises to 15 as Buenos Aires recovers from heavy storm

Death toll rises to fifteen in Buenos Aires City and Province as the region recovers from a heavy storm that hit the area on Wednesday night taking porteños by surprise after an unusual warm day for the season.

Intense rain and hail storms caused death and destruction throughout the country and mainly in the Buenos Aires province and Capital area. Over 500 people had to be evacuated. Estimates of the damage caused suggested a figure of several million pesos’ worth.

According to officials, four people died in Buenos Aires City. One person was killed when a wall collapsed, while three others were perished after a roof collapsed in Villa 21 shantytown. The ten victims died in the province: four in Moreno, one in Quilmes, one in Florencio Varela, one in Isidro Casanova, one in Gonnet, one in Flores and another in Avellaneda.

Most of the victims were crushed by toppled walls, fallen roofs or blown trees.

Victim number fifteen was confirmed this morning at Villa Soldati neibourhood. Bertilio Alarcón worked for the gendarmerie when his station was hit and dragged by the strong winds.

Another victim was a 19-year-old young man and his dog, who were electrocuted in Santa Fe city, after stepping on an electricity cable.

Boca Juniors' training ground Casa Amarilla suffered extensive damage during the storm. Also, San Lorenzo and Huracán, whose sporting headquarters are located in the neighbourhoods of Boedo and Parque Patricios, also reported damage to their training and social facilities.Later, other clubs reported similar damages to their sporting facilities.

In the province, the districts that were affected the most were: Moreno, Ituzaingó, Ensenada, General Rodríguez, Lanús, Morón, La Matanza, Florencio Varela and Suipacha. Besides, the storm also affected Malvinas Argentinas, San Miguel, La Plata, Lezama, Pergamino, 25 de Mayo, Pilar, Brandsen, Chascomús, San Isidro, Navarro, Villa Gesell, General Viamonte, General La Madrid, Coronel Dorrego, Ramallo, Carlos Tejedor and Castelli.

“We have an enormous task ahead of us. Almost 110 trees have fallen,” said the City government’s Deputy Mayor María Eugenia Vidal, yesterday.

A total of 600 Border Guards were sent yesterday to towns in western Greater Buenos Aires to coordinate preventions actions and provide relief for the zone, according to a statement released yesterday by the national Security Ministry.