The Cuban Eriangel Torres Gutiérrez, just 23 years old, remains hospitalized in serious condition in Monterrey, Mexico, after suffering burns to nearly his entire body during an explosion at the home where he rented a room.
The young man, known as Erick among his close ones, was severely injured on the morning of Thursday, August 6, when an explosion destroyed part of a house in the Buenos Aires neighborhood, in the south of Monterrey, Nuevo León.
Since then, he has remained hospitalized at the University Hospital of Monterrey, while coworkers and neighbors are closely following his progress with concern. The young man, according to people close to him, does not have any immediate family in Mexico.
The explosion occurred around 8:00 in the morning at a house located on Macario Pérez Street, at its intersection with Alfredo González Treviño.
According to testimonies from neighbors collected by the local media Info7, Erick reportedly turned on the light in his room and then used the microwave. Shortly after, the explosion occurred, which destroyed a large part of the second floor of the building.
The exact sequence of events and the cause of the explosion, however, remain under investigation.
The Cuban had been renting a room on the upper floor of the two-story house for about a year.
After the explosion, the neighbors saw him coming down the stairs with severe burns and desperately asking for help.
Emergency services arrived at the scene in under ten minutes. Civil Protection teams from Monterrey and Nuevo León, firefighters from Nuevo León, and paramedics from the Medical Emergency Regulatory Center all participated in efforts to stabilize the young man before urgently transporting him to the hospital.
The severity of his injuries became evident from the very beginning.
Eriangel suffered second and third-degree burns on his face, chest, abdomen, arms, legs, and genitals, with injuries affecting nearly his entire body surface, according to information from Info7.
The initial hypothesis from Civil Protection in Monterrey points to a possible accumulation of gas within the residence as a potential cause of the explosion, although the relevant expert assessments will ultimately determine what caused the accident.
Neighbors also assured that about six months prior, they had reported a gas leak in front of the house and claimed that the repair made at that time was only temporary. This account is part of the testimonies collected after the incident and does not, as of now, constitute an official conclusion regarding the causes of the explosion.
The force of the explosion also caused damage in the surrounding areas.
At least four nearby residences were affected, several windows shattered, and a neighboring wall sustained structural damage.
Inside the property, London, a dog that was also injured during the explosion, was found.
His colleagues are staying updated on his recovery
Erick worked at Reymar Moto Partes, a company dedicated to selling motorcycle parts located in the same neighborhood.
Hours after the accident, his colleagues turned to social media to inform about the situation and seek support while the young man fought to recover.
"We would like to sincerely ask for the support of our customers, friends, and family. Right now, we are going through a very difficult situation, as a colleague from our warehouse suffered a serious accident and is fighting for his recovery," the company expressed on August 6.
A day later, Reymar Moto Partes reported that the Cuban was "improving little by little," although no official medical report has been released to provide precise information about his progress.
They warn about possible unauthorized collections
Amid concerns for the young man's health, warnings also began to circulate to prevent third parties from taking advantage of the situation to solicit money without permission.
The very company where Erick works posted a strong alert on its social media: "As of now, no money is being requested, do not fall for it."
A neighbor identified as Nayeli Lara also urged caution and revealed a detail that heightens concerns surrounding the case: the young Cuban is going through this emergency without close family in Mexico.
"We want to clarify that the young man affected is of Cuban nationality and has no family here. No one is authorized to collect money in his name," he warned.
Until this Sunday, no new official medical report regarding his condition had been released, beyond the reports indicating that he remains hospitalized in critical condition.
It has not been publicly revealed whether Cuban consular representatives have reached out to the young man or the people accompanying him to provide assistance.
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