At least 13 people were killed in Argentina on Saturday after a severe storm hit the port city of Bahía Blanca with strong winds and rain, about 400 miles south of the capital, Buenos Aires, officials said .
The National Weather Service warned the residents of Buenos Aires that the storm, which had gusts of up to 86 miles per hour, making it comparable to a category 1 hurricane, and blew up the roofs of Bahía Blanca, heading towards them. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain and intense winds to the capital.
President Javier Milei and the mayor of Bahía Blanca confirmed the deaths.
Images published by local media showed harrowing scenes in Bahía Blanca, where more than 300,000 people live. Video shown violent winds whip the sides of tall buildings accompanied by distant lightning and a choking haze covering much of the city. Photos showed large toppled trees and buildings in tatters, some with their roofs torn off or collapsed.
The most serious damage was to a basketball arena, Club Bahiense del Norte, officials said, where rescue workers were working to treat victims.
In a statement, Mr. Milei said his office officials were assisting local authorities.
“The president expresses his deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who died as a result of the storm,” his office said in a statement released shortly after 11 p.m. local time.
