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An accident ended in tragedy and saddened a family in the municipality of Baracoa, Guantánamo, this Monday, when two people died and four others were injured after inhaling the gases from a motor pump while performing cleaning and drainage work on a water well.
The tragic incident occurred in the community of Saibá, in the town of Cabacú, and claimed the lives of a man and his son-in-law, according to reports on social media.
Witnesses cited by the Facebook page «La Tijera» indicated that the fumes from the water pump suffocated one of the local residents, named Narciso, who was inside the well guiding the hose during the cleaning process.
In coming to his aid, his son-in-law, known as «Pocho» by family and friends, also lost his life. He was Arístides Navarro Lobaina, 34 years old, who was a barber and owner of Navarro's Barbershop, a barbershop located in Hudson, in the Tampa metropolitan area, Florida, according to information verified by CiberCuba.
"Pocho" was visiting his hometown, Baracoa, when the accident occurred, according to close acquaintances. The young man was from the area known as "the head of the bridge at Río Miel," in that municipality.
Among the four injured are Orelxis, who is hospitalized in serious condition, and Camilo, “The Baker,” who was also injured while trying to rescue the victims. Both were taken to the Octavio de la Concepción y de la Pedraja General Hospital in Baracoa, where they are receiving medical care, according to the profile “Coterráneo Anibal Ferrand”.
The identities of the other people who were injured are unknown.
So far, Cuban authorities have not released an official statement regarding the events. All information has emerged on social media, primarily Facebook, where groups and informational pages have spread the news about the incident, which is common when accidents occur in Cuba, about which the regime typically remains silent.
In addition to the grief of the family, friends, and acquaintances of the victims due to the loss, the incident has shaken the Saibá community and the residents of Baracoa.
This type of accident follows a documented risk pattern in confined spaces. During the cleaning of wells, gases such as methane and hydrogen sulfide can accumulate, displacing oxygen and causing loss of consciousness within seconds. The use of internal combustion engine pumps worsens the danger by consuming available oxygen and generating carbon monoxide. It is common for those who attempt a rescue without protection to also become victims, as occurred in this case.
There have also been reported incidents of falls and drownings in wells. In 2024, a soldier rescued a man who was trapped in one and was on the verge of death in the municipality of Mantua, in Pinar del Río.
A year earlier, the farmer Fernando Herrera Ramírez was cleaning a well in the municipality of Frank País, in Holguín, when a collapse occurred that nearly left him buried. Firefighters and rescuers pulled him out alive after he had spent almost 28 hours buried 12 meters deep.
Unfortunately, two young people who fell into a well in Monte Alto, in the locality of Mir, also in Holguín, met the same fate and drowned.
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