At least 13 dead as storm rages through the Argentinian port city

At least 13 people were killed in Argentina on Saturday after a fierce storm lashed the port city of Bahía Blanca with strong winds and rain, some 400 miles (650 kilometers) south of the capital Buenos Aires, officials said.

The country’s meteorological service warned residents of Buenos Aires that the storm, with gusts of up to 130 kilometers per hour, was comparable to a category one hurricane, and blew off the roofs in Bahía Blanca, came upon them. The storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall and strong 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, home to more than 300,000 people. Video showed roaring wind blows the sides of tall buildings, accompanied by distant flashes of lightning and choking haze that envelops much of the city. Photos showed large trees falling and destroying buildings, some with their roofs blown off or collapsed.

The worst damage was to a basketball gym, Club Bahiense del Norte, officials said, where medical workers worked to treat victims.

In a statement, Mr Milei said officials in his cabinet were assisting local authorities.

“The President extends his deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost their lives as a result of the storm,” his office said in the statement, released just after 11 p.m. local time.