An explosion caused by a natural gas leak destroyed a ten-story apartment building leaving at least 10 dead and 62 injured on Tuesdayin the city of Rosario, Argentina, Telam reported. Authorities confirmed there are still 13 missing.
The accident caused an evacuation of downtown Rosario, as it was not possible to cut off the gas supply immediately. Among the eight dead were a young man and a woman, according to Municipal Health Secretary Leonardo Caruana. No further information was released.
Public prosecutor Gabriela Argüelles ordered a raid on the office of gas company Litoral Gas Rosario, located at 621 Mitre Street, Clarín reported. The aim is to determine whether computer systems registered any complaints made by the neighbors of the two buildings near the gas leak.
"We want to check which (Litoral Gas Rosario) employees worked in that area in the last couple of days and determine the names of those who worked there," the prosecutor said, according to Telam.
The explosion occurred at around 9.30 am in a building located in 2000 Salta Street, between Oroño and Balcarce Streets, prompting panic among locals and damaging three nearby buildings, Buenos Aires Herald reported. People were trapped in the upper floors while the building's back and front facades were ripped open, leaving the inside visible from the street below, ABC informed.
According to firefighters, a furnace in the building apparently exploded. "We were told that electric works were being carried out and that the cauldron was off", said a resident of the building. Apparently, the explosion was registered at the building's central heating system and was caused by a gas leak, Buenos Aires Herald reported.
The city Mayor Mónica Fein said 17 ambulances "are working" on the scene to help the people burned in the fire, while authorities recommended the evacuation of nearby buildings. Local media reported some residents were still trapped inside the building, according to the Herald.
Fein confirmed National Security Secretary, Sergio Berni, and Cabinet Chief, Juan Manuel Abad Medina offered her the services of the border police and coast guard to help the local authorities.
Firefighters reported that the fire caused by the explosion took three hours to extinguish, leaving the building in danger of collapsing, ABC published.
Rosario is Argentina's third largest city, home to 1.1 million people. It is located 300 kilometers (180 miles) north of Buenos Aires.