At least six lives were lost due to severe flooding in Bahia Blanca, Argentina.

At least six lives were lost due to severe flooding in Bahia Blanca, Argentina.

In just a few hours, over 260mm of rainfall inundated Bahia Blanca, a port city located southwest of Buenos Aires, Argentina's capital.

The resulting floods led to the destruction of bridges and the collapse of roads, with local authorities warning that the death toll could rise.

Emergency evacuations took place at homes and hospitals, with distressing images surfacing online of mothers carrying their newborns as they escaped from a flooded medical facility.

Federico Susbielles, the mayor of Bahia Blanca, described the catastrophe, stating that the city was 'hit by a natural disaster once again' and that 'the situation has become very critical.'

He further reported, 'The number (of dead) has risen to six and at the moment it cannot be ruled out - given the magnitude of what happened - that there may be more fatalities,' during an update around 7:30 p.m. local time.

In response to the crisis, Defence Minister Luis Petri announced that Argentinian President Javier Milei had ordered the full deployment of all available resources, including military personnel. 'We are on the ground, working with the municipality and accompanying those affected so that assistance arrives quickly and where it is most needed,' he stated.

Meanwhile, presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni confirmed that Mr. Milei had canceled his planned engagements in Mendoza province on Saturday, though he did not specify whether the president intended to visit Bahia Blanca.