Rescue operations at the former Basic Secondary School in the Field (ESBEC) No. 1 in Remedios, Villa Clara, concluded on Thursday morning with a toll of two deceased and one survivor, after more than 16 hours of an intense operation among the debris, reported the portal Soy Villa Clara on Facebook.
The deceased victims were identified as Luis Alberto Rojas Julién, 24 years old, and Francisco González Navarro, 77, both residents of the municipality of Caibarién. Their bodies were recovered around 6:50 a.m., as confirmed by Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Lima Guevara, head of operations for the Villa Clara Fire Department.
The only survivor is Jorge Luis Pardo Águila, 29 years old, who was rescued alive shortly before midnight on Wednesday. He remains in the Neurology department of the Arnaldo Milián Castro Provincial Hospital in Santa Clara, and according to health authorities, he is out of danger.
The accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon, when the structure of the old ESBEC collapsed completely, commonly known as "La Uno," located on the road to Rojas in the municipality of Remedios.
Although the building had been out of service for years and had been declared unsafe for use due to the advanced deterioration of its structure, unconfirmed local sources indicated that the trapped individuals were allegedly extracting rebar and other construction materials when the collapse occurred. This practice has become increasingly common in Cuba due to the shortage of materials and the deterioration of numerous abandoned buildings.
In the operation, more than a hundred rescuers from different specialized forces participated. Cranes, heavy machinery, and cutting tools were used to remove the debris, while a generator ensured lighting throughout the night. Drones were also employed to assist in locating victims beneath the rubble of the building.
The Integrated Medical Emergency System (SIUM) remained active throughout the emergency to assist those affected and to provide support to their families, who waited for hours to receive news about their loved ones.
The tragedy once again highlights the danger posed by the numerous abandoned buildings in advanced states of disrepair that exist in Cuba. Many of these, former schools, factories, or state facilities, have been left without maintenance for years and are frequently looted for reusable materials.
A similar incident occurred last July in Colón, Matanzas, where two men were trapped after the collapse of a building belonging to an old military unit while they were allegedly extracting construction materials. Both survived the accident.
After completing the rescue efforts, authorities reiterated their call for the public not to enter buildings declared unsafe, warning that the risk of new collapses is high. Meanwhile, specialists are continuing to investigate the causes of the collapse of the former ESBEC, one of the hundreds of rural educational facilities that were left abandoned after the dismantling of that school system on the island.
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