Hundreds of volunteers and relief workers have been donating clothes, mattresses, and food for the victims, but some residents are upset with the local government’s response, according to the Buenos Aires Herald.
Security Secretary Sergio Berni said the government “is doing what’s humanly possible” amid the devastation, reports the Herald.
La Plata was the worst hit, 51 people died and 400 people remain in 19 evacuation centers. Approximately 16 inches of rain poured on La Plata within two hours late in the night on April 2, provincial officials said, according to the BBC.
Six people died in Buenos Aires from the storm when it rained nearly 6 inches in the capital.
As of April 5, nearly 900 people in La Matanza district remain evacuated, according to Daniel Scioli, governor of the Buenos Aires province, reports the Herald.
“We’ve never seen anything like it,” said provincial governor Daniel Scioli, according to the BBC.
“People were taken by surprise, and some didn’t have time to escape this deadly trap.”
“Many victims drowned as they tried to scramble to safety on rooftops and treetops and some were electrocuted,” the BBC reported.
La Plata’s Mayor Pablo Bruera said the floods damaged 100,000 homes, according to the Herald.
