A parking garage collapse at a large residential complex in Buenos Aires left at least 65 vehicles crushed under tons of concrete on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The incident, which occurred at the intersection of Parque Patricios and Barracas, prompted the evacuation of nearly 200 residents as authorities assess the structural integrity of the building.
The collapse involved a slab of approximately 50 by 70 meters within Sector 2 of the Estación Buenos Aires complex, located at Mafalda 907, near the Club Atlético Huracán stadium. Despite the significant damage, officials reported no injuries or trapped individuals. Emergency crews confirmed a complete section of the underground garage’s slab had given way, impacting the area where cars were parked.
The Estación Buenos Aires complex was developed by the national government through the Procrear plan, a housing initiative launched during the administration of former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Construction began in 2021, and the project is the largest undertaken by the national government under the Procrear II program, comprising 2,476 apartments ranging in size from 32 to 119 square meters. The incident raises questions about the oversight and maintenance of large-scale government housing projects.
Constructora Sudamericana (Cosud) built the affected Sector 2, as well as Sectors 1 and 10 of the complex, completing a total of 45,000 square meters of construction within the development. The company has a long history of major projects in Argentina, including the Fórum towers, Unicenter and Portal de Rosario shopping centers, numerous supermarkets, and healthcare facilities like the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and the Sanatorio La Trinidad de Palermo. They also completed renovations on the Hotel Llao Llao and the Alvear Palace Hotel.
Cosud activated its emergency protocols immediately following the collapse and launched an investigation to determine the cause. “As soon as clarity is obtained regarding the state of the structure and the causes that provoked it, this information will be made known,” the company stated in a preliminary release. A subsequent announcement detailed a visual inspection of the affected areas conducted by Cosud engineers, an independent structural advisor, and officials from the City of Buenos Aires’ General Directorate of Guard and Emergency Assistance.
The company stated that the inspection “allowed us to define a technical course of action for a thorough verification of the structural condition of the facilities.” They plan to submit a operate plan to the General Directorate of Guard and Emergency Assistance for approval before beginning further activities, with the goal of determining whether structural damage exists and enabling residents to return to their homes as soon as possible.
The Estación Buenos Aires neighborhood, now home to more than 10,000 people, began to develop around 2015 on the site of the former Belgrano Sur train terminal, which ceased operations in 2018. The area had previously been characterized by abandoned industrial warehouses and was historically known as the “Zona de la Quema” (Burn Zone) due to its association with a former slaughterhouse and sewage disposal.
The Procrear program underwent changes in the past year. In June 2025, the national government formally dissolved the Procrear fiduciary fund, initiating the program’s definitive closure. This decision led to modifications in the management of remaining assets, including public auctions of land within the complex through the Subast.ar platform of the State Property Administration Agency (AABE).
As technical assessments proceed to determine the cause of the collapse, investigators are focusing on whether the incident was due to a structural failure, issues related to water infiltration, or a combination of factors. The incident underscores the importance of ongoing structural monitoring in large residential developments.
