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The Cuban Minister of Transportation, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, reported that the evacuation efforts for the 577 passengers traveling on Train No. 16, which covers the route Holguín–Havana and derailed on Wednesday night in Las Tunas, have concluded without any fatalities or injuries being reported.
According to the official report, the incident occurred when the locomotive and the first carriage of the train — which generates electricity for the rest of the carriages — derailed near the village of Bartle, in Las Tunas.
Aboard were 577 passengers, who were promptly assisted by local authorities and emergency teams.
"At 6:42 a.m., the operations for the transfer of passengers from Train No. 16 Holguín–Havana concluded," Rodríguez Dávila specified in his statement.
“Fortunately, no injuries or other impacts on the safety of travelers were reported,” he emphasized.
The Transportation delegate in Las Tunas, Reynaldo Reyes Silva, highlighted the swift actions of the crew and various railway subsystems, which “acted with due diligence.”
The ministry reported that the prompt and coordinated response of the Party and Government authorities of Las Tunas, along with the provincial offices of Transportation, Health, and the Ministry of the Interior, allowed for the establishment of an effective evacuation scheme to the appropriate destinations for travelers by bus.
The operation included the mobilization of national buses, Transmetro, school transport, and private small and medium enterprises from the provinces of Holguín, Granma, Camagüey, Ciego de Ávila, Sancti Spíritus, Villa Clara, and Matanzas.
Fuel supply was also guaranteed to cover the affected routes and to transport both passengers in transit and those waiting at intermediate stations to Havana.
Parallel to the evacuation tasks, the provincial Health Directorate ensured the presence of medical personnel and sanitary equipment to assess the condition of the passengers, the official noted.
The technical teams of the Ministry of Transport are currently working on the reestablishment of railway circulation on the central line, while an investigative commission assesses the causes and possible responsibilities of the derailment.
Rodríguez Dávila stated that "we have the necessary resources and forces to repair the damage as quickly as possible and to resume regular train service through that infrastructure."
The ministry will communicate updates on the recovery of the affected section "as more information becomes available," the official indicated.
The train had already derailed last May in the province of Camagüey, resulting in 18 injuries, although none were serious, according to reports from official sources at that time.
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