Tragedy in Las Tunas: Taxi and tourist car collision leads to fire and multiple fatalities

A terrible traffic accident occurred this Monday in Las Tunas, when a taxi and a rental car for tourists collided head-on, resulting in a fire in the latter and leading to the deaths of its occupants, according to reports on social media.

Publications and videos on social media capture images and initial testimonials of the tragedy, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least six people.

Several followers are reporting on this social media platform about a shocking traffic accident that occurred this Monday on the Central Highway in Bartle, Las Tunas, when a taxi and a tourist car collided. Both vehicles caught fire. There were five people in the tourist vehicle and two in the taxi. All of them have died. According to reports, the tour was headed to Guantánamo. This information has not yet been published by official media, but we will be looking for more details and will share them in the group, stated Rolando Guerra Machín, a Holguin official and administrator of the Facebook group 'El Purial Holguín Cuba.'

In the absence of confirmation from the authorities and state media, initial reports indicate that the occupants of the rental car, presumably five people, among whom several sources claim there was a minor, may have lost their lives in the accident and were trapped in the burning vehicle.

The death of the taxi driver has also been reported, while some sources claim that a second occupant of the vehicle may have also died in the tragic accident, bringing the provisional total to seven fatalities.

"I was just informed that there was a horrific accident in Las Tunas. A taxi and a tour bus collided, and both vehicles caught fire. There were five people in the tour bus and two in the taxi. All of them have died," stated a user in the Facebook group 'Accidentes Buses & Camiones.'

It appears that the taxi was headed to Guantánamo. The user who reported the accident stated that their source had witnessed the scene and claimed that all seven people involved had died. According to their testimony, "the people inside the car were seen burned."

"In the taxi, there was only one occupant: Comrade Rodelio, from Majibacoa, who is 44 years old," noted a user identified as Rubén Tamayo in the comments of one of the social media posts. This information was confirmed by another user, identified as Yulior Ferrer Escalona.

"The accident was a collision between a rental van and a taxi from the Las Tunas agency, resulting in the death of its driver, Rodelio Queces, as well as the passengers in the van. This occurred at the Bejuco intersection, approximately 20 km from the municipality of Las Tunas," noted the last user.

At the time of writing this note, neither the authorities nor the state-run media have reported on the tragic event. Details regarding its causes are also unknown, as well as the identities of the individuals involved, apart from unconfirmed information from users claiming to know the victims, such as the post shared by a Facebook user identified as Evis Gainza Córdoba.

"The two boys who were in the Tur and died on the Las Tunas road are my cousins. They are from the East, Baracoa," this internet user stated. "One is named Danilo and the other, Papin," he added in another comment.

Videos shared on social media captured the moment immediately after the collision of both vehicles and the intense fire that broke out in the rental car. The incident quickly attracted nearby residents who alerted the firefighters and authorities, but by the time they arrived, there was nothing that could be done for the victims, a delay that some criticized as too late.

The incident allegedly occurred on the Central Highway of Cuba, about 20 kilometers before reaching Las Tunas, near Bejuco, a town located 19 kilometers west of Las Tunas, which is spread out on both sides of the highway.

"It happened on the Central Highway, just before reaching the Bejuco intersection, about 20 kilometers from Las Tunas. Apparently, the driver of the Lada [taxi] died, and everyone in the Tur did as well. I don't have any more details," said another user of the mentioned Facebook group.

Traffic accidents in Cuba continue to result in a tragic toll on the roads. In early August, an accident on the National Highway led to the deaths of four people, including a minor, following the collision and subsequent fire of a passenger vehicle. The car crashed into a bridge and caught fire, resulting in irreparable human losses.

Another devastating incident occurred in mid-January in Sancti Spíritus, when a passenger car collided with a trailer loaded with oranges, leaving at least three dead and several injured. The impact was so severe that both vehicles were destroyed on the road.

At the end of April last year, two young individuals walking along a road near Bayamo, in Granma, were killed after being struck by a tourist vehicle. The accident occurred in the early morning, and the victims were under 20 years of age, according to initial reports.

Days earlier, in Matanzas, a tourist car overturned, resulting in one fatality and three severe injuries. Rescue workers labored intensively to free the individuals trapped in the wrecked vehicle.

At the end of January 2023, a tragic accident in Santa Cruz del Norte resulted in at least one death and seven injuries after a taxi's tire blew out and collided head-on with another car. The impact was devastating, and authorities indicated that the poor condition of the roads and a lack of vehicle maintenance are recurring factors in such incidents.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Traffic Accident in Las Tunas, Cuba