Intense rains in the Argentine port city of Bahía Blanca, 600 km from the capital Buenos Aires, left at least six dead and caused large floods, local media and authorities said on Friday.
The storm forced the emergency withdrawal of people from their homes and health centers, and images published on social networks showed mothers of newborns leaving a hospital flooded with their babies on his lap.
Meteorologists warn that the weather forecast is not favorable, with new heavy rains expected for Friday night.
Authorities confirmed the death of a woman at a cross and did not rule out other fatalities. Local media reported five more deaths, and torrential rains sweeping cars through the streets, knocked down trees and left hundreds of people without energy.
“Much of the city is submerged after seven hours of torrential and uninterrupted rain, which undoubtedly means that we face a natural catastrophe,” said Bahía Blanca City Hall, which has a population of 300,000 people and is an important commercial port.
The national and provincial governments announced a rescue operation to help the victims after more than 200 millimeters of rainfall fell in a matter of hours. The local airport was closed, and some roads to the city suffered serious damage.
