Package Bomb Detonates at Buenos Aires Gendarmerie School, Injuring Four

Explosion Rocks Gendarmerie School in Buenos Aires

A package containing an explosive device detonated on Friday, February 20, 2026, at Argentina's National Gendarmerie Superior School in central Buenos Aires, resulting in injuries to four personnel. The incident occurred around 1:49 PM on the 11th floor of the institution's building, located at Avenida Paseo Colón 533. The blast triggered an immediate security operation and a partial evacuation of the premises.

Injuries and Emergency Response

Of the four individuals injured, two officers were transported by the city emergency medical service (SAME) to Hospital Argerich. Officials from the National Security Ministry confirmed that their injuries, primarily burns, were 'with no risk to life'. A third member of the force was reported to be 'recovering and out of danger', while a fourth person sustained less serious injuries.

Following the explosion, specialist teams, including city police, firefighters, and explosives personnel, were rapidly deployed to the scene. A safety perimeter was established, and approximately 320 people were evacuated as a precautionary measure from the affected building and an adjacent structure at Paseo Colón 525. Authorities also inspected other stored consignments, confirming that at least two additional parcels did not contain explosive material.

Investigation Underway

Initial reports indicate that the explosive package had been stored on-site for approximately four months before it was opened. Local media reports suggest the shipment was addressed to a former director of the school who had retired four months prior and had visited the school to collect the parcel.

The case has been assigned to a federal court, overseen by Judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi. The Federal Police's Anti-Terrorism Investigation Unit has been tasked with forensic work to determine the parcel's origin and how it entered the school's internal handling chain. Investigators are working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.