More than 100 people were evacuated from a luxury residential tower in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires after a blaze spread through several floors of the 50-floor building.
The fire broke out at around noon on Tuesday 11 on the 11th floor of the building. Renoir Tower II, is the highest residential building in the city and is located in the exclusive and wealthy neighbourhood of Puerto Madero.
Alberto Crescenti, head of Buenos Aires emergency services, told local media the fire had “extended all the way to the 15th floor”.
He added: “Broken glass fell from the windows.
“Luckily, it was a very fast evacuation, meaning people are not at risk.”
Residents were taken across the street to the Mujeres Argentinas square where 50 patients were examined. 40 people were treated for smoke inhalation and several others were admitted to hospital before the blaze was controlled.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Diego Coria, chief of the Buenos Aires City Police Fire Squad, told reporters that the fire started in a mechanical room housing the building’s air conditioning units.
“This space has ceiling vents, which allowed the fire to spread to other floors,” he said.
A 1,884sqft (175sqm) apartment in the tower is valued at more than £803k, according to La Nacion, a daily newspaper based in Buenos Aires.
Mariano Pavone, an ex-footballer who played for Argentine giants River Plate and Spanish club Real Betis, who lives in the building, told Noticias Argentinas news agency: “I saw smoke and went down with my son and my dog.
“Luckily nothing happened to my flat. I’m anxious for my neighbours. Luckily it was just a scare.”
Over 30 emergency units rushed to the scene, along with firefighters and local police.
Firefighter Christian Benitez told AFP news agency all the residents were out of danger.
“I heard the fire alarm and came downstairs as quickly as I could,” Ornella Gril, 30, told AFP outside the building.
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