The storm of snow that has affected Patagonia in recent days, forcing the closure of several routes in the south of the country and many cities are under alert due to low temperatures that reached, in some cases, -23°.
In addition to compulsorily cutting off traffic on the main access roads, it was also necessary to evacuate isolated people, especially workers from the Santa Cruz dams.
In that framework, the Argentinian army It deployed armored vehicles and helicopters to reach places that are currently inaccessible.
The heavy snowfall began on Tuesday, June 18, and the situation worsened this weekend. Several towns were isolated, as well as the rescue of oil workers via helicopter.
Force members collaborated in the evacuation on foot, walking through thick snow, to proceed to the transfer of the isolated people by helicopter. In this framework, the 11th Army Aviation Section participated in the evacuation operation of 16 operators from the Cóndor Cliff dam, together with the Santa Cruz police and road personnel.
The video of the evacuation operation of oil workers:
Meanwhile, in a video shared by the Argentine Army on the social network
For its part, in the town of Las Lajas, in the province of Neuquén, the 21st Mountain Infantry Regiment assisted vehicles stranded on National Route 40.
Chubut is the province most affected by the climate contingency. Although, in Santa Cruz, support tasks are also being carried out.
Watch the video of a rescue carried out by the Argentine Army in the south of the country:
The operation is carried out by infantry and cavalry regiments and elements of engineers, communications, intelligence and health who are experts in operating within the framework of the territorial and climatic hostility of Patagonia.
It is worth remembering that the National Meteorological Service (SMN) reported that in the mountain areas and on the plateau of Santa Cruz and Chubut, snowfall of varying intensity is expected in the next few hours, some occasionally strong that would reach accumulated values of between 50 and 70 cm. in some cases.
The storm of snow and wind also has a strong impact in the mountain range area of Neuquén and Mendoza, where the Cristo Redentor Pass, a border crossing between Argentina and Chile, remains closed.
The intense snowfalls cut off National Route 3, which connects Comodoro Rivadavia with Trelew, Route 26 (which runs between Comodoro and the Cordillera) and other vital arteries for circulation. For this reason, the support of the Army was requested, because in several of these points, hundreds of cars, trucks and passenger buses were stranded this week.
More than 300 people were evacuated on that mission. Another support front was Route 26 and a third, the roads that connect the different areas with the oil wells, detailed Major Colonel Claudio Cervigni, of the IX Mechanized Brigade of the Argentinian army. According to him, support is being provided to oil workers because “they are very isolated and the only way to get to where they are is with tracked vehicles, which are the M113. There the situation is dramatic because although the different bases have with fuel and food, if they are not going to rescue them, that will end,” explained the colonel.
