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Two workers from Labiofam in Villa Clara lost their lives on Tuesday after suffocating from toxic gases inside a molasses tank they were ordered to clean, according to a report by the Villa Clara journalist Francisnet Díaz Rondón on Facebook, who was a personal friend of one of the victims.
Díaz Rondón, a journalist for the official newspaper Vanguardia in Santa Clara, published the text on Wednesday, June 17, the same day he attended his friend's burial at the cemetery in that city.
A deadly trap in the workplace
As the communicator explained, one of the deceased - named Luis Díaz and known to everyone as "Yunior" - was sent to clean a tank of pulga honey —a Cuban term for molasses, a byproduct of sugarcane— when the gases accumulated inside began to suffocate him.
“The concentrated toxic gases began to suffocate him, his strength waned, and he could not manage to escape from that deadly trap,” wrote Díaz Rondón.
The worst part is that a colleague tried to rescue him and also died in the process.
"Even more painful was that another friend and colleague, Eduardo, came to help him and also perished in the act. Two lives lost, orphaned children, partners with shattered lives, and two families mourning due to a workplace accident that should not have happened," lamented the journalist.
It should be noted that molasses can ferment and produce gases such as carbon dioxide, which, being heavier than air, accumulate at the bottom of closed tanks and displace oxygen, leading to asphyxiation within minutes.
International regulations for confined spaces require prior ventilation, gas measurement, and protective equipment before any entry.
"The 'Before...' is more important than the 'After...'"
Without directly pointing to the direction of Labiofam, Díaz Rondón reflected on the preventability of the tragedy.
“Although sometimes situations that are perfectly avoidable are labeled as accidents, because for any risky task, all measures and protections are insufficient. In these matters, the 'Before...' is more important than the 'After...’”, he pointed out.
The journalist described Yunior as a noble and hardworking man from Cascajal.
"Yunior was a tireless fighter to provide the best well-being for his family. When he didn't have commitments at Labiofam, he would go out to sell cilantro, ají cachucha, and other spices, earning an honest living," specified Francisnet.
The communicator from Villa Clara also detailed the circumstances in which he and his now-deceased friend had met.
Indignation on social media
The publication sparked a wave of questions regarding the lack of security measures at the company.
"What a tragic event and what irresponsibility from that company for not taking the necessary measures to protect the lives of two workers!" wrote a commentator.
"Undoubtedly, they are avoidable; how much pain for their family due to someone else's negligence"; "And who is responsible?"; "Sometimes accidents are not really accidents," wrote other internet users.
“A very sad loss, a great man with strong values. Luis left his mark in every corner where he lived and worked,” wrote one of those who knew him.
As of the closing of this report, there is no further information available regarding the circumstances of the unfortunate incident. Neither the company from Villa Clara nor state-run media outlets have mentioned the tragic event.
A recurring pattern
This accident is not an isolated event. In recent years, in line with the worsening economic crisis in Cuba, the number of workplace accidents in the country has surged, unfortunately, with several of them being fatal, particularly in the electrical sector.
Recently, electrician Osmani Rosales Núñez died from electrocution in Cárdenas, Matanzas, while repairing a fault.
Another recent tragic incident adds to this: on May 26, two people died in Baracoa after inhaling toxic gases from a water pump while cleaning a well, under circumstances almost identical to those described by Francisnet in the Labiofam case.
The statistical context is alarming: according to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), in 2024, 934 workplace accidents were recorded in Cuba and 52 deaths -one per week- with a mortality rate that increased by almost 60% compared to the previous year.
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