Several people were trapped this Wednesday after the complete collapse of an abandoned building in the municipality of Remedios, Villa Clara, where emergency teams are conducting search and rescue operations.
The journalist Henry Omar Pérez, from the Cuban News Agency, reported in a Facebook post that, preliminarily, it was estimated that around three people were inside the structure at the time of the collapse, although he warned that this number could change.
Forces from the Provincial Fire Command and teams from the Red Cross were deployed to the site to begin rescue and salvaging efforts.
The Integrated Medical Emergencies System (SIUM) was also activated, aiming to provide immediate care to those affected once they are extracted from the building.
The local authorities, led by Susely Morfa González and Milaxy Yanet Sánchez Armás, went to the site to oversee the operations and coordinate the necessary resources.
In a post on X, Morfa confirmed that the collapse left several people trapped and indicated that, preliminarily, it was estimated that three individuals were inside the building at the time of the collapse.
So far, no details had been provided about the condition of the people trapped, as emergency teams continued to work in the area.
The first unofficial information that circulated on social media identified the property as the former Basic Secondary School in the Countryside (ESBEC) number 1, known as "La 1," located on the road to Rojas, in Remedios.
The Facebook page La Tijera reported that several individuals were inside the structure extracting rebar and other materials when the collapse occurred.
The publication mentioned possible injuries and fatalities under the rubble, but clarified that at that moment the authorities had not yet confirmed those reports.
In the Facebook group Rebolico Remedios, an anonymous post about the incident received a comment from user George Delgado, who stated that three people had become trapped.
According to his account, a man in another building heard cries for help and ran to alert the police, which meant at least one person was still alive at that moment.
On its part, the page San Juan de los Remedios La Voz del Pueblo disseminated unofficial preliminary reports mentioning two bodies recovered and up to 14 people reportedly trapped.
The collapse in Remedios adds to a series of incidents reported in Cuba, some related to the deterioration of abandoned buildings and others to the illegal extraction of construction materials.
At the end of July, two men aged 28 and 43 were trapped after the complete collapse of a building in the area of an old military unit in Colón, Matanzas. Authorities attributed the collapse to illegal demolition, during which support points and load-bearing beams were removed. Both were rescued alive and are out of danger.
Another abandoned property in Colón, the former El Confite café, suffered a partial roof collapse in May, with no injuries reported. The building's danger had been listed in the municipal risk reduction plan since 2021 and had been subject to assessments and warnings since 2023.
Landslides continue to affect buildings in use or located in heavily trafficked areas. In June, a structure collapsed on the Malecón in Havana, with no reports of casualties or injuries.
Related videos:
Filed under: