"The material damage is significant": investigating bus accident that collided with a house in Havana

Authorities are investigating the causes of an accident that occurred early Monday morning in Havana, when an articulated public transportation bus collided with a two-story house on Santa Amalia Avenue, with no human casualties reported.

According to Cubadebate, vehicle number 513, belonging to the UEB Terminal Santa Amalia, violently collided with the building around 3:30 in the morning. The outlet noted that "the rapid evacuation of the residents of the house, as well as the time of the incident, were determining factors in preventing a greater tragedy."

According to the official report, the "material damages are considerable," both to the structure of the house and the bus itself. Teams from the Ministry of the Interior, firefighters, technicians, and government representatives arrived at the site to secure the area, ensure the safety of nearby residents, and conduct a technical assessment of the damage. Authorities reported that a "thorough investigation has been launched to determine the exact causes that led to this accident."

Images shared by Yohandy Aguilera Castillo in the Facebook group “Accidents Involving Automobiles in Cuba and Information on the Road” show the moment when the bus was extracted from the residence with the help of a crane and then left the site under its own power.

Other photographs shared by the user Rickee Estrada show the condition of both the house and the bus, while he celebrated that “fortunately there were no fatalities.”

After the incident involving the public transport bus 513 that crashed into a house on Santa Amalia Avenue became known, social media was flooded with images, videos, and comments about the event. Many users expressed their concern over the frequency of accidents on the island and the conditions under which state transportation operates in Cuba. "We hardly have any buses, and the few that exist are often involved in accidents," commented a craftsman, while another user lamented "the extent of the damage to the house, especially in these times, poor owners." Some users speculated that the driver could have been drunk, although this version has not been officially confirmed. The comments agreed on calling for accountability and penalties in case negligence is proven.