Miguel Díaz-Canel reported on Monday the death of at least six people in the municipality of San Antonio del Sur during the passage of Oscar, which made landfall in Guantánamo on Sunday and then weakened to a tropical storm.
"Unfortunately, based on the information we have, six human lives have been lost in the municipality of San Antonio del Sur. Rescue work for the population is still ongoing, and we are continuing to assess the damages and impacts because there are areas that are completely flooded that have not yet been accessible," said the leader in statements to Cuban television.
Díaz-Canel described the damage in the province of Guantánamo as "severe," but contrary to initial thoughts, because these were also the first images that were released, Baracoa was not the most affected area.
"It must be said that the municipalities of San Antonio and Imías have been heavily hit by this event. There have even been recorded flooding levels that were not historically documented in these two areas," the governor also said.
In X, Díaz-Canel insisted that there are still areas considered inaccessible, emphasized that the FAR and MININT are working on rescue efforts in those municipalities, and concluded that "All of Cuba is focused on Guantánamo."
The ruler did not identify or provide further details about the deceased, nor did he specify the exact cause of death, although it appears that they died as a result of the severe flooding.
The Civil Defense also reported on X about the deaths, but did not provide additional information about the victims.
In light of the damage caused by Oscar in the municipalities of Guantánamo, the Union of Young Communists (UJC), along with student organizations and youth movements, issued a call to the youth to come to the places where help is needed to contribute to recovery, as determined by the local authorities.
"Immediately we will form the necessary brigades, ready to work in campaign conditions, shoulder to shoulder with our people," assured the political organization in a statement quoted by Prensa Latina.
The municipal committees of the UJC across the country are receiving guidance to form these brigades and have them ready in anticipation of their activation at the moment it is decided.
Likewise, donations will be received for the families who were affected after the passage of the meteorological event.
Oscar, which made landfall on Sunday afternoon near Baracoa as a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, is already moving away from the Cuban coasts, downgraded to a tropical storm, although it will leave rain in the eastern part of the country for a few more hours.
The eastern extremity of Cuba has historically been affected by 14 tropical cyclones, of which three hurricanes impacted the area in the month of October: Flora (1963), Matthew (2016), and now Oscar (2024).
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