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Search efforts continue this Friday in the municipality of Sagua de Tánamo, in the province of Holguín, where two men remain missing following the rise of the river that flows through the area, local authorities reported.
The missing persons have been identified as Antonio Angulo Caballero, 74 years old, resident of the Popular Council El Jobo, and Luis Pérez Rodríguez, 64 years old, worker at the UEB Correos and neighbor of the Popular Council Ciudad Sur.
According to the official information shared on Facebook by Yeletnys Robles Revé, a municipal official, both men have been reported missing from their homes since October 22 and 23, respectively.
In one case, the citizen left for his farm in the locality of Miguel, from which he did not return; in the other, a witness saw someone with similar characteristics trying to cross the bridge covered by water, where he was allegedly swept away by the current.
"Search efforts are underway in Sagua de Tánamo for citizens Antonio Angulo Caballero and Luis Pérez Rodríguez. Since their disappearances, the rescue unit of the municipality of Moa, the Red Cross, family members, and volunteers have been activated," the official statement specified.
The highest authorities of the municipality visited several strategic locations in Sagua de Tánamo this Friday to verify the protective measures and the search efforts.
During the tour, they visited the families of the victims and assured that the river "remains within its banks" following the decrease in rainfall.
Although it has been ruled out that these cases are directly related to the tropical storm Melissa, the heavy rainfall recorded in recent days may have contributed to the rise of the river and the challenging ground conditions in the eastern region of the country.
On social media, family members and neighbors have urged people to avoid rumors and act with caution while rescue operations are ongoing.
Esther Lamoru, who identified herself as the sister-in-law of one of the missing persons, requested to wait for confirmed information before spreading rumors about the alleged death.
"It is still not known what happened to Luis. Don't rush to conclusions; this is not child's play, let's wait. The rescue and recovery team is working to verify the loss of life," the woman wrote on Facebook.
The Command 30 of the Moa Fire Department is participating in the efforts alongside rescuers and volunteers, who are actively searching in rural areas and along the course of the Sagua de Tánamo River.
The Forecast Center of the Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) reported this Thursday cloudy skies, showers, and thunderstorms in the eastern part of the country, and is monitoring Tropical Storm Melissa, which continues to move slowly and is gaining strength over the central Caribbean Sea.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) of the United States, Melissa could become a hurricane this weekend and pose a potential threat to the eastern provinces of Cuba.
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