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Rescue teams from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) and the Red Cross successfully evacuated more than 140 people, including numerous children and mothers with infants, in one of the most intense operations recorded to date in eastern Cuba.
According to the state media Minint Hoy, the Rescue and Salvage Unit of Holguín, with support from brigades in the municipality of Moa, worked throughout the night on Tuesday and the early hours of Wednesday to rescue families trapped by the rising river.
"Once the passage of Hurricane Melissa through the territory of Sagua de Tánamo was completed, rescue forces worked tirelessly during the river's rise, which flooded entire homes," the official statement specified.
"At the time this information was concluded, 142 individuals had been rescued and located in a safe place, including 30 minors and citizens with disabilities," he emphasized.
Salvage operations were conducted using naval resources, ropes, and lightweight boats, due to the inability to access the most flooded areas by land.
In some cases, rescuers had to climb onto the roofs and windows of flooded homes to rescue those trapped, while the water level continued to rise.
The magnitude of the flooding was such that the Sagua de Tánamo River covered houses up to two stories high. Images shared by journalist Eddi de la Pera from Telecristal show streets, roads, and rural neighborhoods completely submerged.
"Attention! The Sagua de Tánamo River continues to rise due to the heavy rains from Hurricane Melissa. The population in low-lying areas is advised to take extra precautions and follow the instructions of the authorities," warned the communicator on social media.
In the circulated videos, partially submerged roofs, fallen electric poles, and vehicles swept away by the current can be seen. The urban area of the municipality was practically isolated for several hours, and land access from Moa and Mayarí was interrupted due to landslides and fallen trees.
The report from Minint Hoy confirms that no fatalities have been reported so far as a direct consequence of Hurricane Melissa in Sagua de Tánamo, although the material losses are substantial.
Among the evacuees are entire families from the popular councils of La Güira, San Andrés, and Los Llanos, who were moved to makeshift evacuation centers in schools and state buildings. “The gratitude of the population was reassuring towards those who acted to save lives,” the statement added.
The hurricane Melissa hit Cuba on Tuesday night as a category 3 cyclone, with sustained winds of 185 km/h and torrential rains that severely affected the eastern part of the country.
Although the phenomenon moved northeast and went out to sea overnight, intense rainfall continued throughout Wednesday, saturating the soils and dangerously raising the river levels.
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