Eight people, including three firefighters, had to be transferred to the Rivadavia and Fernández hospitals affected by the inhalation of smoke from a fire registered in the afternoon in an apartment building in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Palermo, reported the City police.
Minutes after 6:00 p.m., the firefighters managed to evacuate the residents of the affected building and two adjoining buildings, while the electrical power in the area was cut off preventively.
The fire had been controlled and the dense column of smoke that was initially observed from several blocks around, was appeased by the work of the firefighters who used several lines of hoses to throw water.
The fire affected a building with a commercial premises, garages and eight apartment floors located at Beruti 4533, between Fray Santa María de Oro and Godoy Cruz, which had to be evacuated while the firefighters attacked thick columns of smoke that emerged from the plant premises. low with 38 mm hoses.
Fire in Palermo. View from the balcony pic.twitter.com/RiyLHu67F7
— {“name”: “Gabriel”} (@gabrieldatadev) February 18, 2023
Apparently, the fire had its origin in a short circuit produced in an underground electrical panel, while 20 meters from the access to the building there is a transformer chamber in which explosions were heard, witnesses and neighbors said.
According to police sources, a total of eight people were transferred to the Fernández and Rivadavia Hospitals, affected by smoke inhalation, police sources indicated.
The fire was fought by 4 fire crews from the Palermo and Villa Crespo detachments, along with personnel from the City Police and SAME.
The fire deputy commander Fernando De Mateos said that a total of 4 vehicles that were parked underground were totally destroyed, while others suffered only partial damage.
“The apartments were not affected beyond the smoke but they still cannot be occupied until the Relief Guard performs an evaluation of the structure,” said the fire chief.
