Cuban authorities confirmed this Wednesday that the individuals trapped under the rubble from the collapse that occurred at a secondary school in Remedios, Villa Clara, are from Caibarién, a neighboring municipality located in the northern part of the province.
According to information released by journalist Henry Omar Pérez from the state agency ACN, rescue efforts at the Basic Secondary School in the Field (ESBEC) were still underway following the partial collapse of its structure, with no significant changes in the situation up to that point.
The rescue teams deployed at the site "remain in contact with one of the individuals located among the rubble," which allows for ongoing assistance efforts as clearing operations progress in the affected area.
Present at the site were the families of those trapped, as well as the highest political and government authorities of the province and municipality, along with representatives from Caibarién.
The specialized forces operated in coordination with the healthcare system, which, according to the source, "ensured that all resources for immediate care needed were activated."
The collapse occurred in the structure preliminarily identified as the former ESBEC No. 1, popularly known as "La 1," on the road to Rojas. Among the technical resources deployed, the use of drones to geolocate those trapped under the rubble was reported, a technique employed in Cuba since the explosion of the Saratoga hotel in Havana in 2022.
Susely Morfa González, secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party in Villa Clara, visited the site and preliminarily noted that it was estimated that three people were inside the building at the time of the collapse, although that figure was stated to be subject to change.
On social media, however, unverified reports circulated mentioning up to 14 people trapped and two bodies recovered, information that authorities did not corroborate.
The collapse in Remedios is part of a broader pattern of structural deterioration of Cuba's educational infrastructure documented in multiple provinces.
In August 2024, a partial collapse occurred at a primary school in Arroyo Naranjo, in Havana, and after Hurricane Melissa in November 2025, over 270 schools were affected in Guantánamo, with four total collapses. Many of these buildings are decades old and have suffered from a lack of systematic maintenance.
Authorities reiterated that "the priority remains to ensure the safety of rescuers and the saving of lives."
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