Argentina declares three-day mourning as flood death toll rises to 16
Argentina declared three days of national mourning following flash floods that claimed 16 lives in Bahia Blanca, where a year's rain fell within hours, inundating neighborhoods. Two young girls, aged one and five, were tragically swept away in the disaster.
Argentina announced three days of national mourning late Sunday after authorities raised the death toll from recent flash flooding to 16, with more still missing.
The deadly floods struck Friday when a year's worth of rain fell in a matter of hours in and around Bahia Blanca, a major port city located in the south of Buenos Aires province, with entire neighborhoods inundated by the fast-rising waters.
The Latin American nation has been particularly shaken by tragic reports of two girls, aged one and five, being swept away in the torrent.
Provincial security minister Javier Alonso confirmed their disappearance Sunday, saying the sisters had climbed onto the roof of a van with their mother to escape the rising waters when a surge ripped them away. Their mother was rescued.
Divers were continuing to search the area, where more than a meter of water remained, Alonso told the Radio Mitre outlet.
Bahia Blanca Mayor Federico Susbielles, meanwhile, told a press conference that the flooding had caused $400 million in infrastructure damage.
Later, in a post on X, he said "there are 16 confirmed deaths, but there are likely to be more" as search efforts continue.
The storm left much of the surrounding coastal area without power. At one point, city officials in Bahia Blanco suspended electricity due to the huge amount of water in the streets.
Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:Several killed as Cyclone Garance slams into France's Reunion IslandJanuary sets 'surprising' heat record, defying La Nina cooling expectations
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