11/07/2026 18:12 - Judiciales
In the province of Salta, Argentina, local prosecutor María Sofía Fuentes has provisionally charged four managers and executives of the company Aguas del Norte. They are under investigation for alleged criminal homicide by omission and failure to observe regulations resulting in the deaths of two workers, and for severe injuries under the same classification for a third worker who miraculously survived.
The tragic incident occurred on May 5, 2026, in Rivadavia Banda Sur, a town in the Salta province. A maintenance crew was working on the local sewage system. After replacing a pump and noticing a persistent blockage, three workers descended into a manhole approximately seven meters (23 feet) deep. Upon entering this confined space without adequate protective gear, they quickly lost consciousness. Two lost their lives, and the third was rescued with severe injuries.
According to Argentine media sources like Infobae and La Voz, the charges were distributed as follows:
Autopsies confirmed the victims died from toxic asphyxiation. Toxicological studies detected the presence of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an extremely lethal gas that commonly accumulates in sewage networks.
This compound is capable of causing unconsciousness and death within seconds in confined spaces, exactly as happened minutes after the workers entered the sewer.
The victims were identified as Emanuel Aguirre, 24 years old, and Raúl Torres, a father of four children, both from the La Unión neighborhood. Aguirre died at the scene, while Torres passed away around 9:30 PM during his transfer to the San Ramón de la Nueva Orán Hospital.
"My son was forced to go in, they gave him the order. We are going to find out who was responsible. He was the first to go in and passed out. Then Raúl Torres went in to rescue him and also died... The company only cares about billing, not the lives of its workers."
According to the judicial investigation detailed by Gente de Salta, the crew lacked gas detectors, self-contained breathing apparatuses, harnesses, lifelines, and rescue devices. They also had no specific training for this type of high-risk task.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
