The partial collapse of a building in Havana was captured by Cubans who witnessed the scene and the critical moment of the balcony falling from the structure.
The video, shared on Instagram by the user identified as The Spartan Vlog, captured the moment when the balcony of a crumbling building collapsed and fell onto the sidewalk in front of the gaze and comments of several neighbors.
"I don't say it for fun in my videos that when you walk the streets of Havana, you have to pay close attention to the ceiling above you and, in many cases, avoid walking on the sidewalk. There is less risk of getting run over by a car than having a balcony fall on your head," said the user in their post.
Although the exact address of the property is unknown, the incident appears to have occurred more than two weeks ago on a street in the Centro Habana or Old Havana municipality. In any case, the building seems to be uninhabited, at least on its upper floor.
In modernist style, with lobed lintels, large doors and windows, and the marks of exquisite stonework, metalwork, and carpentry, the deterioration of this emblematic building of early 20th century or late 19th century architecture in Havana now seems irreversible.
Like thousands of buildings from its era, the building has been a victim of the urban and heritage crime committed by the Cuban regime, whose housing and architectural conservation policies have been disastrous, resulting in the overcrowding of people in crumbling buildings and the collapse of a significant portion of the country’s and the capital's urban heritage.
Unlike previous occasions that ended in tragedy, the collapse did not result in any loss of human life and did not cause any injuries, despite the sidewalk being open to pedestrian traffic and the area showing no supports or signs indicating a risk of collapse.
As the author of the Instagram post expressed, the collapse of balconies in Cuba poses a danger to the lives of passersby.
At the end of June, three people were injured after the collapse of a balcony that fell onto a café located in a very central area of El Vedado. The unfortunate accident occurred at the café El Tablazo, located on 1ra Street, between C and D.
In April, the collapse of a roof awning on San Lázaro and Gervasio streets in the Centro Habana municipality caused the collapse of several balconies on the first floor of dilapidated buildings along the central Havana avenue, as reported by CubaNet.
At the beginning of August, the staircase of a multi-family building collapsed in Old Havana, leaving several residents in the area cut off, according to a report on social media by the Municipal Administration Council (CAM).
The official source indicated that there were no reported deaths, although it did not clarify whether there were any injuries as a result of the incident. The building, located at Villegas 256 between Obrapía and Lamparilla streets, collapsed around 8:10 p.m. (local time).
The brief official note also did not mention the number of family units and total number of affected individuals as a result of the collapse. They only limited themselves to stating that the firefighters took care of evacuating "the units" that were left isolated.
At the end of July, the case of Aracelia González Díaz was reported, a Cuban mother who lives in fear of losing her family if the house where she resides in the Cerro municipality in Havana collapses completely.
In an interview with the site CubaNet, González denounced - and showed on camera - the critical conditions of his home, located on Churruca Street, between Daoiz and Velarde, which has suffered two partial collapses and could fall down at any moment.
At the beginning of that month, a 60-year-old man died as a result of a collapse that occurred in the Havana municipality of Guanabacoa, according to confirmation from Cuban authorities and neighbors of the victim.
The news was shared on social media by the Municipal Board of Directors, which stated that the collapse of the facade of building number 61 severely injured a resident identified as Miguel, 60 years old, who was attended to quickly but later died due to the severity of his injuries.
The official statement did not provide any further details about the incident, but several residents in the area stated that the situation has left "all the neighbors very upset" due to the housing situation in that area.
A social media post announcing the upcoming opening of Hotel K23, the skyscraper owned by the Business Administration Group S.A. (GAESA), triggered a wave of critical and outraged comments at the end of July for promoting a business controlled by the Cuban regime's elite, which contrasts with the depressed economic and social reality of Cuba.
The lack of investment in hospitals, schools, medicines, housing, and public infrastructure was reported by many users. Others recalled the destruction of heritage and homes in the capital, or the piles of garbage that accumulate in the streets. Most considered the construction of the hotel as an offense to the Cuban people.
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