Argentina and Uruguay Hit by Deadly Storm That Left 16 People Dead

A deadly electrical storm hit South America last weekend, causing damage and several deaths across two countries, namely Argentina and Uruguay.

The death toll in Argentina has now reached 14 people, while two people have been confirmed to have died in neighboring Uruguay. The largest death toll came in the Argentinian town of Bahia Blanca, where a wall collapsed on over a dozen people, killing 13 of them.

This incident happened last Saturday., during a roller skating competition, with a massive downpour causing the roof to collapse on the spectators, resulting in those deaths. Another 14 people were buried under the rubble after the roof collapsed, but they were rescued soon after.

Argentina's new president, Javier Millei, reportedly visited Baja Blanco on Sunday, a day after those 13 people died in that horrific storm-related incident. The deaths came just a week after he assumed office as the country also contends with a massive economic crisis.

As for the 14th person to die in the Argentina storm, that victim was identified as a woman who died on Sunday morning in the town of Moreno. According to Reuters, she died after being struck by a falling tree branch as a result of the storm.

Elsewhere in Argentina, parts of the country reported power outages, while in the capital, Buenos Aires, there are reports of trees being downed, as well as lamp posts. Several buildings were also damaged by the storm's strong winds.

Argentina Storm Blows Apart Stage During Music Festival in Buenos Aires

Footage of the storm's rampage was also captured on camera as concertgoers during the Fiesta Bresh music festival in Buenos Aires were seen running away as parts of the stage were being blown away by the storm.

Sky News reported that 15 people were injured as a result because the stage collapsed during the music festival. Strong winds of 150km/h (93mph) battered parts of the country and also brought heavy rain throughout.

Argentina also issued an Orange Alert level throughout parts of the country, meaning that the storm was a possible threat to life and property. The winds that battered Argentina were so strong that another video showed a parked plane being buffeted around by the winds at the Aeroparque airport near Buenos Aires.

Storm Also Battered Uruguay, Resulting in 2 Deaths

The storm battered not just Argentina but also its neighbor to the north, Uruguay. According to the BBC, two people reportedly died in the country as a result of the storm, and their deaths happened during the early hours of Sunday morning. Uruguay's meteorological agency confirmed their deaths but did not reveal the exact details of how they died.

Much like their southern neighbor, strong winds also battered Uruguay, resulting in several trees being downed, as well as some roofs being torn off buildings.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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