WATCH: Severe storm forces airplane 'take off' on its own, collides with staircase in 100mph winds

In a dramatic turn of events, a severe storm wreaked havoc at Argentina’s Aeroparque Jorge Newbery airport in Buenos Aires on Sunday, subjecting a 17-year-old Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 737-700 to the force of 100mph winds. The powerful gusts propelled the aircraft across the runway, colliding with a passenger staircase, ultimately toppling the plane onto its side. Footage of the incident revealed the plane’s wing section striking a building on the runway during the tumultuous incident. The damage sustained by the aircraft, registered as LV-CAD, led to the cancellation of its scheduled flight to Mendoza Governor Francisco Gabrielli International Airport on Sunday morning, as repairs were deemed necessary.

🥇🥈🥉🔥A 150 mph storm in Argentina left a plane parked at the airport screeching and moving on its own. pic.twitter.com/2KsdXy1ZdP

— BREAKING NEWS-BULLETIN DAILY (@bulletindaily) December 17, 2023

Aerolineas Argentinas, in a statement, acknowledged the impact of the storm on airport operations, disclosing the cancellation of 100 flights and numerous delays and rescheduling. The airline expressed the possibility of further modifications or cancellations throughout the day due to the lingering effects of the storm and intermittent airport closures prompted by electrical activity. The storm, which proved deadly across Argentina and neighboring Uruguay, claimed at least 16 lives. In Uruguay, two individuals lost their lives to strong wind gusts from the southeast. Meanwhile, in Argentina, casualties included a woman struck by a falling tree branch in Moreno and thirteen others who tragically perished when a wall collapsed in Bahia Blanca during the storm. President Javier Milei visited the accident site on Sunday, underscoring the severity of the situation. The storm’s ferocious winds not only impacted air travel but also downed trees and lamp posts throughout the capital, Buenos Aires, adding to the extensive damage caused by this unprecedented weather event.