The Cuban government declares those missing due to explosions in Holguín as deceased and reports a possible cause

The Cuban government confirmed the death of the 13 missing persons following the explosion at a military materials warehouse in the town of Melones in the municipality of Rafael Freyre, Holguín.

An informative note from the Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) reveals that it was determined that the possible cause of the incident is related to an electrical failure caused by a short circuit within the facility.

Until this Wednesday, days after the accident, authorities maintain that they have still not been able to reach the location where "the 13 colleagues who heroically faced the disaster in order to prevent its spread" are located.

This is due, they claim, to the extreme complexity of the terrain caused by the explosions, the effects of accumulated gases, and the severe damages incurred, as well as the real danger of landslides resulting from the structural impact on the site.

"According to the work conducted and the analyses of the specialists, the ministerial commission created by order of the Minister of the FAR to carry out the corresponding investigation, along with the competent investigative bodies, has concluded that the accident site is inaccessible and, consequently, there is no possibility of life at the site," the statement emphasizes.

The text concludes by stating that the family members were informed of the final outcome of the event, and therefore it is officially declared that the 13 companions have passed away.

Since last week, the government had remained silent about the incident, which sparked outrage among the families, who accused it of negligence and a lack of interest in initiating rescue efforts, as well as providing no information about the investigation.

The latest information was provided by Joel Queipo Ruíz, the first secretary of the Party in the province, who revealed that the risk of further explosions prevented authorities from entering the area of the military unit where the fire broke out to begin the search for the 13 missing persons.

According to what he said then, specialized actions were taking place in a specific area, but they would not enter the exact location where the incident occurred until the explosions ceased.

The 13 victims were four officers: two with the rank of Major and two Second Non-Commissioned Officers, and nine soldiers, some of whom were close to completing their military service.