One careless dig turned a busy shopping corner in southern Buenos Aires into a fireball on Friday morning. A gas pipe ruptured during roadworks in Remedios de Escalada, a neighbourhood in the Lanús district of Greater Buenos Aires, and the blast killed one person and injured at least 21 more.
Two people were still missing late on Friday, according to the Lanús municipality. The blast is a stark reminder of how risky work on ageing city gas networks can be.
Published Friday, 13 November, 4:15 p.m. ET · Source: Lanús municipality (local government), Lanús Civil Defence, provincial emergency services
Key Facts
- What. A gas pipe burst during network works in Remedios de Escalada, near Buenos Aires; one person died.
- Toll. 21 injured by one official count, 30 by another; two people missing.
- Who. The Lanús municipality says a contractor for gas distributor Metrogas hit the pipe; prosecutors ordered two Metrogas executives held.
- Next. Gas supply to the damaged line must be cut fully, then investigators assess the damage.
What Happened on Friday Morning
The explosion came at 10:52 a.m. in Argentina (8:52 a.m. ET), at the corner of Coronel Beltrán and Del Valle Iberlucea streets. The corner is a busy commercial block, and several shops were destroyed, including a delicatessen whose structure collapsed.
Neighbours told reporters they had smelled gas before the blast. “Then suddenly there was an explosion,” one shopkeeper said.
Julián Álvarez, the mayor of Lanús, said the municipality had confirmed one death and 30 injured people taken to hospital. Of those, seven were seriously hurt, 13 were under observation and 10 had been discharged.
Claudio Arale, the director of Lanús Civil Defence (the municipal emergency service), gave a lower figure at a news conference: at least 21 injured, six of them in serious condition. The counts differ because they were made at different times and by different services.
Why Did the Pipe Rupture?
Arale said a subcontractor working for Metrogas, the gas distributor for the area, drilled into a medium-pressure pipe with a tunnelling machine. Metrogas itself said a machine working at the site broke one of its distribution pipes.
According to the municipality, a Metrogas spokesperson said the pipe broke at 9:44 a.m., more than an hour before the explosion. That is the gap officials now question.
The Question of the Missing Hour
The municipality and Arale both said the contractor did not call the emergency services. Instead, they said, it told Metrogas’s own internal emergency team, which sent a crew.
Arale said that when Metrogas security staff arrived, they were told the situation was under control. “Minutes later it exploded,” he said, adding that emergency protocols were only activated after the blast.
A prosecutor from the Avellaneda-Lanús district office ordered two senior Metrogas managers held and taken in so they could be identified. Officials said the order followed suspected breaches of emergency protocol, and no charges have been announced.
What Rescuers Are Doing Now
Firefighters from Lanús and neighbouring districts, police and the Red Cross went to the scene. The municipality said all residents nearby were evacuated.
By late afternoon the municipality said the fire was under control, but it was still waiting for Metrogas to shut the gas off fully before it could put the flames out completely and assess the damage. The two missing people had not been found at that point.
What We Do Not Know Yet
The final death toll, the exact number of injured and the identities of the missing have not been confirmed. We also do not know whether the contractor or Metrogas will face criminal charges, or what exactly was said between them before the blast.
What It Means for Readers Abroad
Lanús is a residential and commercial suburb south of the city of Buenos Aires, and the affected streets were closed during the emergency. Anyone with plans to visit the area should expect disruption while gas lines are repaired.
The case also shows why quick alarm calls matter. In the United States, the national “811” line lets diggers have buried pipes marked before work starts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were hurt in the Lanús gas explosion?
The Lanús municipality counted 30 injured, while its civil defence director cited at least 21. One person died and two were missing.
What caused the explosion in Remedios de Escalada?
Officials say a contractor working for Metrogas broke a medium-pressure gas pipe with a machine. The blast followed more than an hour later.
Sources: Municipality of Lanús statements and civil defence news conference; Buenos Aires Province emergency services; Avellaneda-Lanús prosecutors’ office.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
Living in or visiting Buenos Aires? See this month's events and our Buenos Aires city guide with rents, safety and upcoming concerts.