10/07/2026 10:03 - Sociales
The afternoon of July 9, 2026 was marked by a tragic event in the southern region of the province of Córdoba, Argentina's second-most populated province located in the center of the country. A head-on collision between a car and a minibus resulted in two fatalities and 17 injured individuals.
The accident occurred at 5:50 PM on Provincial Route 4, a key local highway, on a section known locally as la curva de la herrería (the blacksmith's curve), located between the cities of La Carlota and the entrance to Huanchilla. According to Fabricio Ibarra, Chief of the Volunteer Firefighters of La Carlota, emergency units rushed to the scene and confirmed the death of the two adults traveling in the car (a man and a woman) due to the sheer violence of the impact.
Authorities have not yet released the identities or origins of the fatal victims. The forensic investigations, carried out by the Policía Judicial de Río Cuarto (the investigative and forensic police force of the region), will determine the mechanics of the crash. The collision happened on a straight stretch of road with normal visibility, though under heavy truck traffic due to the region's intense agricultural activity.
Traveling in the minibus were 16 girls, aged 9 to 12, members of a female youth soccer team from the towns of Laboulaye and Serrano. They were returning from playing a match in Río Cuarto, one of the major cities in southern Córdoba. Federico Gregorat, fire chief of Huanchilla, detailed that the girls suffered cuts, scrapes, and bruises, mainly from the shattering of the vehicle's windows, but thankfully, none presented life-threatening injuries.
All the girls were transferred to the Hospital de La Carlota for medical care and psychological support. Some of the injured were also referred to the Hospital San Antonio de Padua in Río Cuarto for further evaluation.
Following the crash, traffic on Provincial Route 4 was restricted, and vehicles were diverted through alternative rural roads. Volunteer firefighters, police personnel, emergency services, and judicial police operatives worked together at the scene. Despite the sorrow of the fatalities, the local community breathes a sigh of relief knowing that all the young athletes are stable, out of critical danger, and receiving the care they need to recover.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
