Two elderly individuals were rescued this Saturday after the collapse of a house in front of the Cristo park, in the city of Camagüey, as reported by journalist José L. Tan Estrada on his Facebook page.
According to the information released, at the time of the collapse, both elderly individuals were inside the building, located on Cristo Street, between Bembeta and Desengaño, but they were able to be rescued alive. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported, which brought relief to the local residents.
"Thank God nothing happened to my neighbors," wrote an internet user in the comments of the post. Another expressed: "Thank God there were no human losses, only material ones."
According to Tan Estrada, "the house was in poor condition and, according to neighbors in the area, the rain and water accumulation contributed to the collapse of the structure." Additionally, in a later update, the reporter specified that "the collapse also caused the front of the adjacent house to fall, which is now in danger... and on the verge of collapsing."
What happened did not surprise those who are aware of the condition of the houses on that block. An Internet user revealed that the day before, he had walked by the area and had already warned of the danger: "I passed by there yesterday and commented on how people walked on that sidewalk and about the residents." Another neighbor pointed out that the problem goes beyond just one house: "Many houses in Camagüey, including some that have been designated as World Heritage Sites, are prone to collapses."
Cuba is facing an official housing deficit of approximately 806,000 homes, as acknowledged in May 2026 by the General Directorate of Housing of the Ministry of Construction. In addition to the accumulated deterioration, about 35% of the Cuban housing stock is in fair or poor condition.
The situation is particularly evident in cities with a large stock of aging real estate, such as Havana and Camagüey, whose historic centers preserve a significant architectural heritage from the colonial period.
Recent events in the province are telling. In October 2025, a collapse on Horca Street affected three homes and left several families displaced; structural humidity exacerbated by rainfall was highlighted as the main cause. Two elderly individuals in the La Pollera community, in the municipality of Vertientes, are living among the debris of their collapsed shack without receiving assistance from the authorities.
A troubling pattern is repeating itself: deteriorated homes lacking maintenance for decades, rains acting as a trigger, and elderly people as the most vulnerable victims. A few days before the collapse on Cristo Street, two elderly individuals were buried after the portal of their house in the Lawton neighborhood of Havana collapsed.
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