Bahía Blanca: the headquarters of Banco Nación caught fire and there is a risk of collapse – 28/07/2018

The seat of Banco Nación in Bahia Blanca located in the founding block of the city, burned by a fire since dawn.

The origin of the incident was detected on the terrace of the building, where the boilers are located, and reached the archives area .

A few minutes before 5 am, long flames of fire and plumes of dense smoke began to be seen from the upper zone of the building, located in front of the central square Rivadavia in the area of the Fortress Protector called Argentina, precedent of the current city of Bahía Blanca, founded in 1828.

A dozen firefighters were still trying in the middle of the morning to control the Fire, a Saturday that was beginning to be overcast and with high humidity, after a light shower that had occurred in the early morning.

In charge of the operation, which also involved the staff of the urban traffic control and police, kept access to the area, since did not exclude the possibility of collapse in the building, one of the emblematic of the city. However, there was no evacuation in the area.

Up to now, it has been possible to see total damage in the high zone, from which fallen elements were detached from the central nave of construction, where the customers of the bank usually badist in carrying out their procedures.

The building was inaugurated in 1921 and in 1994 it was declared architectural heritage of the city .

Although at dawn the accident was considered as controlled, pbaded the 8 were noticed new columns of fire on Estomba Street, in the area adjacent to the main building of the courts of Bahía Blanca which, until now, has not not been affected.

In the same block, the customs offices, the post office, the national radio LRA 13, the library of Rivadavia, the National Directorate of Architecture and the former building of the National Mortgage Bank, released for several years.