Coffin falls from hearse on a central avenue in Santiago de Cuba.

The phrase "reality surpasses fiction" was never so accurate as with the unheard-of and distressing scene that took place this Monday in the city of Santiago de Cuba when a coffin fell from a hearse and was left lying in the middle of a central and busy avenue.

The unfortunate incident, reported by the communicator Yosmany Mayeta on his Facebook profile, took place on Victoriano Garzón avenue, in front of a daycare center, in a very crowded area of the eastern city, a few blocks from the provincial headquarters of the PCC and close to the intersection that marks kilometer 969 of the Central Highway.

A few hours ago, a coffin fell from a hearse that was traveling along the central Victoriano Garzón Avenue in Santiago de Cuba," wrote Mayeta, alongside a video and photos that a person sent to her.

The source explained to the journalist: "This coffin fell out of the hearse, which apparently had a partially broken door."

Upon realizing, the driver reversed to pick up the coffin. Two men helped him load the box into the vehicle, while dozens of passersby halted to watch the unusual situation, which anyone could find unbelievable if it weren't for the images that have been recorded.

Mayeta added that it is unknown where the car was heading, while requesting her followers "more details about this painful situation."

Likewise, he/she conveyed his condolences to the relatives of the deceased person.

Despite its unusual nature, the incident that occurred in Santiago de Cuba is not an isolated event and demonstrates the critical economic landscape of the country. Funeral services have also been affected, facing challenges such as the calamitous state and shortage of vehicles, fuel deficits, lack of materials for coffin production, and a scarcity of flowers for wreaths.

The scenes of funeral processions where coffins are carried in horse-drawn carriages, tractors, motorcycles, tricycles, and even bicycle-taxis and wheelbarrows, although common, still evoke pain.

In 2016, the images of a corpse falling from a hearse at the central corner of 23rd Street and G Avenue in Vedado, Havana, also caused a stir.