Overview
- A tunnel‑boring machine operated by contractor Exgadet pierced a medium‑pressure MetroGAS distribution pipe, producing a leak that ignited in a violent blast in Remedios de Escalada on Friday, November 13 at about 9:44 a.m.
- The Municipality of Lanús reports one person dead, about 30 injured including seven in serious condition, and two people initially missing with one later found; hospitals in Lanús received the most severe casualties.
- Firefighters, Defensa Civil, police and multiple ambulance crews carried out large evacuations of homes, a geriatric residence, a school and dozens of businesses within roughly a 200‑metre perimeter.
- A criminal investigation was opened by UFI N°6 and the prosecutor ordered the temporary detention of two MetroGAS executives while ENReGE said it will conduct sinistral audits and officials continue on‑site assessments.
- Officials say the pipe rupture was first reported to MetroGAS’s internal emergency system rather than immediately to municipal services, raising questions about contractor oversight and emergency‑protocol compliance that will be central to audits and court inquiries.