Storm forces evacuation of 1,000 people in Argentina

Buenos Aires, Oct 30 (IANS/EFE) The Argentine government Wednesday activated an emergency plan to help those affected by the powerful storm that struck 17 municipalities in Buenos Aires province over the past 24 hours and evacuated about 1,000 people.

Argentine Cabinet chief Jorge Capitanich held a press conference at which he provided details of the damage caused by the storm in different parts of the country, mainly in Buenos Aires province, as well as in Entre Rios, southern Cordoba and Santa Fe.

Capitanich said that authorities are carrying out "coordinated work on the ground with the provincial municipal authorities" to help those in need.

Of the 1,000 people evacuated, 100 were from the city of Bragado, 500 km from Buenos Aires, where a small tornado with wind gusts of more than 120 kmph ripped the roofs off 70 homes, completely destroying the downtown market and causing power outages, among other things.

--IANS/EFE

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