ARGENTINA: Investigations fail to establish cause of a mysterious blast that blew an Argentine home sky-high, as rumors continue to circulate of a 'fireball' from the sky just before the explosion

Record ID: 359324

  • Title: ARGENTINA: Investigations fail to establish cause of a mysterious blast that blew an Argentine home sky-high, as rumors continue to circulate of a 'fireball' from the sky just before the explosion
  • Date: 28th September 2011
  • Summary: BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE, ARGENTINA (SEPTEMBER 26, 2011) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF RUBBLE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE SIFTING THROUGH RUBBLE VARIOUS OF INVESTIGATORS SIFTING THROUGH RUBBLE VARIOUS OF POLICE PULLING TAXI OUT OF RUBBLE MAN PULLING CLOTHES OUT OF RUBBLE VARIOUS OF INVESTIGATORS SIFTING THROUGH RUBBLE BUENOS AIRES PROVINCE, ARGENTINA (SEPTEMBER 27, 2011) (REUTERS)
  • Embargoed: 13th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina, Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Accidents
  • Reuters ID: LVAD4XV8SS1IAHQ9ALMQXSDTQ1OT
  • Story Text: Investigators still had no explanation on Tuesday (September 27) for a mysterious explosion that reduced an Argentine home to rubble as rumors of a 'fireball' fell from the sky continued to circulate.
    The blast tore apart a home in a Buenos Aires suburb early Monday, killing one woman and injuring several others.
    A taxi and cars parked on the street outside the home were crushed by debris blown into the air, including heavy chunks of concrete.
    The explosion leveled one home and badly damaged several structures in the neighborhood. Police investigators tried to find the cause of the explosion, but failed to turn anything up.
    Meanwhile, local resident Nelida Valdez said rumors continued that something fell from the sky.
    "There are a lot of versions. First, they said a gas tank exploded, but when they started to go through the rubble the gas tanks were intact, so it wasn't that. Later, they said it was a pizza oven, but there was no fire. It was just a huge explosion, like the house opened up. And then everyone in the neighborhood says they saw fire that fell from the sky."
    Local news channels were rife with competing theories about the cause of the blast - none of them confirmed - ranging from meteorites to speculation that bits of space debris from the NASA satellite that plummeted to earth in recent days were to blame.
    "Some say it was red, some say blue. There was some kids sitting on the corner drinking beer and talking and they say they saw it. A lot of people thought it was an airplane because they heard the sound of something falling from the sky. They say something fell, but there was no fire. It just exploded and debris flew four blocks around. A gas tank can't cause that much destruction," Valdez added.
    Maria Ines Loreira, a local city official in town that sits about an hour south of the capital Buenos Aires, said the investigation could be difficult.
    "I don't think it will be easy to determine the causes. I think one wants to get to the truth of this issue."
    Investigators blocked the area off as a crowd of onlookers and television crews gathered around the house. By Tuesday afternoon bulldozers had hauled most of the rubble away.
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