The incident “had violent characteristics, but the situation was never out of control to the point of posing a risk to the population”, Garcia said.
Air quality was being monitored in the affected area. Smoke particles detected were of concern, “but it is not an extremely dangerous situation”, Garcia added.
Thick columns of black smoke rose hundreds of metres into the night sky, illuminated orange from the massive blaze, as witnessed by AFP reporters near the site.
“The explosions and fire breaking out in the different factories are huge,” Ezeiza mayor Gaston Granados said earlier.
“We are trying to control (the fire) and extinguish it but have not been able to so far,” he said on C5N television, adding that the windows of his own nearby house had been shattered and they were evacuating families from the area.
Hospital director Carlos Santoro said his facility had received 22 injured patients.
A patient with a heart attack and a pregnant woman suffering from respiratory issues were among those admitted, he added.
Firefighters were still battling to put out the fire early on Saturday, local media reported.
Several companies manufacturing tyres, chemical products and other goods were located in the industrial area.
Local media reported that five different factories were hit by the explosions and blaze, and AFP reporters saw that at least one factory building had been reduced to ashes.
– Agence France-Presse
