By Martina Jaureguy and Amy Booth

One woman has died and at least 43 people have been hospitalized after a huge fire broke out at a central Buenos Aires building minutes before midday on Tuesday.

The sixth and seventh floors of the building, at Avenida Alem 668, were engulfed in flames and smoke filled the surrounding area. Paramedics confirmed that one woman had died between the eighth and ninth floors, a spokesperson for the Buenos Aires ambulance service told the Herald.

Firefighters and paramedics are working to rescue people who are on the upper floors of the 13-floor building, he added. The lower floors were evacuated.

Over 45 ambulances have been sent to the scene. Hospitals in the area are on alert. By 2:15 p.m. 80 patients had been treated with oxygen at the scene and 43, including three minors, had been sent to nearby hospitals Ramos Mejía, Argerich, Fernández, and Elizalde.

A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed to the Herald that the affected building was next door, but that the Labor Ministry was evacuated as a precaution. 

Reports of an explosion

Mauro López, who works at the Public Ombudsman’s building, which is next door on the 25 de Mayo street side, heard an explosion and glass shattering from his office and went outside to see what had happened. “I went back inside and started helping evacuate people from my building,” he told the Herald.

“There was terrible smoke and fire,” López said. “Then the firemen and policemen took care of it, but we wanted to help the people from the shop next door.”

Rows of ambulances and Buenos Aires City Firemen Department trucks surrounded the area on Alem Avenue, where people were being taken out on stretchers with oxygen and lifted into ambulances.

On the 25 de Mayo side of the building, local residents waited for their apartments to be searched and evacuated by firemen.

Employees at the three labor secretariat buildings surrounding the affected building were evacuated and met at a safe point at the Lavalle and 25 de Mayo corner, two blocks away from the fire. Although the fire was controlled quickly, smoke was still lingering in the air an hour later.