A fire at a power station in Tolosa left much of La Plata and nearby districts without electricity early Monday, as people returned from the long weekend to find large parts of the city remained in darkness.
The fire broke out around 3 a.m. in the capital of the Buenos Aires province on Calle 9, between 527 and 528, and reportedly caused a transformer operated by Edelap, the region’s electricity distributor, to explode.
Firefighters said the blaze had two major fronts: one along Camino General Belgrano and another on Calle 527. Images released during the morning showed a large area in the dark, with police vehicles, emergency lights and fire trucks at the scene.
At least four fire crews were deployed, and the fire is reportedly under control. Edelap is working on restoring the electricity supply, prioritizing hospitals and other health care institutions.
Authorities had also ordered the preventive evacuation of residents living near the facility due to the risks posed while firefighting and damage assessment operations were underway.
No injuries or fatalities were reported, although the fire caused significant property damage.
The outage affected areas of Tolosa, Ringuelet, Ensenada, City Bell, Gorina and Gonnet. Power issues were also reported in several areas of La Plata, affecting traffic lights, public lighting and vehicle circulation.
One of the most critical areas was the final 10 kilometers of the Buenos Aires—La Plata Highway, where the power outage left stretches of the road completely dark.
Authorities urged drivers to reduce their speed, keep their headlights on, and avoid unnecessary travel until electricity service began to return to normal.
With information from Ámbito
