At least 15 people have been hospitalised after a massive explosion in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, on Saturday. The explosion which unleashed thick smoke ripped through an industrial park near Ministro Pistarini International Airport – Argentina’s main international airport.
Hundreds of flights were delayed or cancelled on Friday night following the blast as pilots struggled to land safely. Horror footage showed a huge fire sweeping across several factories before a giant fireball burst upward, shaking nearby buildings at around 9pm last night. Then suddenly, the industrial plant is engulfed in a raging fireball which mushrooms into the night sky.
The blast was so powerful that gates, windows and ceilings were blown out of buildings within a three-mile radius, leaving many scrambling for cover as alarms rang out through the area.
Residents reported a deafening explosion, followed by several smaller blasts.
Gaston Granados, mayor of Ezeiza, said: “The explosions and fire breaking out in the different factories are huge. “We are trying to control [the fire] and extinguish it but have not been able to so far.”
At least five factories caught fire with Mr Granados confirming that the fire ignited in a chemical plant while another plant stored plastics.
The municipality said “significant explosions” were recorded, prompting hospitals across the region to activate emergency protocols. The Cuenca Alta Néstor Kirchner Hospital implemented its full contingency plan for catastrophic situations.
The blaze was so huge that firefighters had still not extinguished the inferno six hours after it had broken out. Over a dozen fire engines and ambulances raced to the scene in a bid to tackle the powerful fire.
Local fire chief Fabian Garcia said: “It is a complex fire. It will be a long fire.” He added: “The conditions aren’t bad, but it is a highly charged fire.”
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