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A fire broke out on the afternoon of this Saturday in the waste area of the Focsa Building, located at 17 and L, in the Plaza de la Revolución municipality, Rampa Popular Council, in Havana, as reported by the Administration Council of the Plaza de la Revolución municipality in a Facebook post.
According to that official information, the swift action of the building staff and firefighters prevented any material or human damage from being reported, while local authorities arrived at the scene and continued efforts for complete extinguishment.
The statement details that, following the outbreak of the fire, the authorities of the People's Council and the local area "quickly" arrived on the scene while efforts were made to control and fully extinguish the fire.
In a later update, the authorities indicated that the fire was contained and that it specifically occurred in the basement area, in the solid waste storage of the building.
The official statement emphasized that the timely intervention prevented more serious consequences and reiterated that there were no reports of material damage or injuries.
The authorities also stated that they remained on site alongside representatives from the Government and the Popular Council, and that they engaged in discussions with "stakeholders" and some residents of the area.
More than one complaint has surfaced on social media regarding garbage burning in Havana. This week, residents of the Lawton neighborhood reported the burning of waste in a residential area due to a lack of fuel to transport it to landfills.
According to testimonies shared on social media, workers from a Servicios Comunales base were reportedly setting fire to waste on the premises, creating a dense smoke that affected nearby homes, especially children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory issues.
Residents questioned the legality and health risks of burning waste in urban areas, in a context marked by the accumulation of refuse and the deterioration of public services in the capital.
Two days later, another report drew attention to the burning of a garbage dump in areas of the Metropolitan Park of Havana, in the Plaza de la Revolución municipality, just 50 meters away from the Clinical Surgical Hospital on 26th Street.
The music producer Laura Martín Nieto warned that smoke was beginning to cause visible respiratory issues among residents, while the environmental impact of the combustion of solid waste remained unknown.
The case adds to numerous citizen reports about burned micro-dumps in various parts of the city, a practice that increases public health risks and highlights ongoing issues in waste management.
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