A video posted on Facebook by Yerry Sanabia Padrón shows flooding near the traffic light at La Palma, in the Arroyo Naranjo municipality, Havana, where open manholes without grates create whirlpools.
The author of the video, exclaims about the open manholes: "Look at the holes, the manhole, anyone could fall into this, look at this, look at the pressure it has on top and below. Anyone could fall in here."
The images show streets flooded with muddy water, a cargo truck navigating through the water, and people moving along the sidewalks while the drains absorb the water with great force.
The more than 350 comments on the video reveal that the problem is not new: neighbors aged up to 64 claim that the intersection has been flooding since they can remember. "That's the four corners at the traffic light in La Palma; it has been flooding every time it rains for over 40 years," wrote one commenter.
"It is indeed without grates and deep, a wide pipe that goes in and out to the river of La Palma. I am witness to this, and it has been this way for a long time, a tremendous danger," warned another user.
The metal grates that originally protected those openings have disappeared over the years. Neighbors attribute their absence to both theft and the lack of replacement and maintenance by the authorities. "The most incredible thing is that all those manholes had a heavy iron grate that required significant strength to lift, but nobody took care of them, and they were stolen. Now all we can do is complain that they are left open like this," commented a resident.
The danger multiplies at night when the frequent power outages in Havana leave the streets in darkness and the murky water completely hides the potholes. "La Palma floods every time it rains, and the storm drains have been open for a long time, creating a danger at night, especially with no electricity. Anyone unfamiliar with the area risks falling, and honestly, no one cares," wrote a resident.
Dozens of comments recall the death of Jonathan Oliva, a 13-year-old boy from Luyanó who was sucked into an uncovered manhole on February 24, 2025, during floods in the Vía Blanca and Villanueva area, near the Miguel Enríquez Hospital. His body was found the next day in the Havana Bay. “Be very careful; remember that sadly those open holes caused deaths last year,” warned one commenter.
Despite that tragedy, many open manholes continue to be a deadly trap in various areas of Havana, with no visible corrective actions taken by the authorities.
A commentator who lives two blocks from the traffic light at La Palma summed up the daily anguish succinctly: "I always pass by there praying: My Father, may I not get cervical dizziness now, protect me, Lord. Amen. What a FEAR."
Amidst the outrage, the comments also revealed a bitter reflection on the collapse of public transportation: dozens of people expressed more astonishment at seeing a bus in the video than at the flood itself. "The best part of this video was the bus; I haven't seen one in ages. Which route could it be from?" wrote a user, a reaction echoed by several other comments on the post.
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