Multiple flights were cancelled
On Saturday, December 16, around 8 p.m. local time, which was supposed to be a night of happy time for families, a sudden natural disaster plunged countless families into the abyss.
In the Argentine city of Ablanca, Brazil, many people were watching a roller skating show at the Bahía del Norte club at the time of the incident, and the atmosphere was relaxed.
However, suddenly, a violent storm swept in, causing the roof to collapse with a "boom", and the audience at the scene was crushed in the rubble before they could react, and the scene was instantly chaotic.
The storm was unusually violent, with winds of up to 95 miles (152 km/h), comparable to a Category 1 hurricane. Just as everyone was immersed in the performance, the roof collapsed overwhelmed, and part of the roof was directly swept away by the wind.
At the time of the accident, there were not only adults in the club, but also many families with children. At least 13 people were reportedly killed in the disaster, 11 others were seriously injured and rushed to hospital, and 250 security guards and staff were taken to hospital.
There is no information on the identity of the victims and their ages.
The bad news was confirmed by Federico Susbielles, the mayor of Ablanca, Brazil, who issued a statement in the early hours of the morning. His words were full of pain: "It is with great sadness that I tell you that 13 people have been confirmed to have been killed. We ask the public to exercise extra caution and not to drive on public roads. ”
The club is very famous in the area, as it was here that Argentine NBA basketball star Manu Ginobili began his basketball career. In the face of this sudden disaster, Ginobili expressed his grief on social media: "I am very sad for what my beloved club, my city and the whole region have been through. ”
Argentina's new president, Javier Milley, also expressed his close concern over the disaster and expressed his deep condolences to the families and loved ones affected.
The storm didn't just destroy an entire stadium, it also plunged the entire city into darkness and left much of the city without power.
Videos taken at the height of the storm showed torrential rain pouring down from the grey sky, winds that even lifted the awnings, and everywhere falling trees could be seen hitting parked cars and houses. More than 1,000 trees were allegedly blown down in the local wind.
The bad weather continued throughout the day and into the early hours of Sunday. To add insult to injury, the meteorological department is said to have failed to provide effective early warning of the storm, much to the dissatisfaction of many local residents.
One resident said fearfully: "I haven't seen a storm like this in 49 years." Another resident felt that the storm was like a tornado, adding: "Luckily, I didn't go to work today and the storm swept me back home." ”
Multiple flights at two major airports were cancelled due to the storm. Aircraft scheduled to take off or land at Jorge Newbury Airport in Buenos Aires City and Ezeiza International Airport on the outskirts of the capital were cancelled, diverted or delayed.
There was also a blast on social media, where many people sought help to find out who the victims of the storm were, whose families or friends were still unclear.
Someone anxiously posted on social media: "We need to know who has been evacuated or who has unfortunately died. I'm from Catamarca and we can't get in touch with our relatives at the club. ”
However, the local municipality only said that 315 people had been evacuated from Ablanca, Brazil. They are working with firefighters, civil protection and municipal staff to clear trees on the road so that they can return to normal as soon as possible.
How vulnerable we are to the forces of nature. At this difficult time, I hope that the victims can rest in peace and that the injured will recover soon. At the same time, we also hope that the government and relevant departments can strengthen early warning and response measures for extreme weather to avoid similar tragedies from happening again.