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The intense rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Melissa caused this Friday landslides in mountainous areas and the partial collapse of the main bridge in Quiviján, in Baracoa, Guantánamo, rendering it unusable for vehicle traffic.
According to the local outlet Venceremos, the collapse interrupted a key communication axis in the municipality of Baracoa, local authorities reported.
The main bridge in Quiviján experienced a partial collapse and remains closed to vehicle traffic, which disrupts a vital route for connection with nearby communities.
The rains caused significant landslides on mountain roads, blocking sections of the main road and secondary routes.
The rise in streams saturated the sewage system, causing flooding in populated areas.
The president of the Municipal Assembly of People's Power (AMPP) of Baracoa, Eider Milhet Laborí, shared the preliminary damage assessment on his Facebook account, while Radio Baracoa gathered community reports on the effects of the weather event.
Minor damages have also been reported in various crops, particularly in cacao plantations, which are significant for the economy of Baracoa.
Local authorities indicated that technical assessments of the bridge are underway, along with clearing routes obstructed by landslides, implementing safety controls in the highest-risk areas to prevent accidents and misconduct during the emergency.
The heavy rainfall recorded in the last few hours in the municipality of Baracoa, province of Guantánamo, has caused severe flooding in various areas of the region, including the neighborhoods of Flora and Turey.
The rains are associated with Tropical Storm Melissa, whose center is maintaining a slow movement near Jamaica, but it could gain intensity and strike Cuba on Wednesday as a powerful hurricane.
The National Civil Defense Headquarters of Cuba issued Informative Note No. 1 on Friday regarding Storm Melissa, which continues to gain strength in the western Caribbean and could become a Category 3 hurricane in the coming days before impacting the island.
The entity declared the Informative Phase for the provinces of Guantánamo, Santiago de Cuba, Granma, Holguín, Las Tunas, and Camagüey starting at 2:00 p.m. today, so that authorities can begin preparations for the meteorological emergency.
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