A young woman identified as Beatriz Arrebato lost her life on Sunday during a stampede that occurred in the Salón Rosado Benny Moré de La Tropical in Havana, while a crowd concert was being held at the venue. Several people were injured, although no official number of injured persons or their health status has been confirmed.
According to information gathered by the independent platform NiO Reporting a Crime, which was the first to disseminate images and the identity of the victim, Beatriz fell in the midst of the chaos and was trampled by numerous people attempting to exit or move within the venue, suffering injuries that ultimately led to her death.
A family member confirmed her identity to that platform. It is noted, pending confirmation, that the young woman allegedly lived in the Pogolotti neighborhood.
Circulating on social media are images from the moment of the avalanche that show the large crowd and the uncontrolled movement of the masses. In other videos that are also circulating, you can see police officers attempting to save the deceased through cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), in a scene that reflects the seriousness of the incident.
Audio recordings captured by witnesses present at the scene reveal the panic experienced inside the venue.
The Salón Rosado de La Tropical, managed by the ARTEX Business Group, is the main live music venue in Havana, with an estimated capacity of between 3,000 and 3,500 people. The space, reopened in 2019 after a restoration, regularly hosts concerts of timba, salsa, and Cuban popular music, drawing large crowds at each event.
So far, no Cuban authority—neither MININT, nor MINSAP, nor any other organization—has issued an official statement regarding what happened, which intensifies the uncertainty about the exact circumstances that triggered the tragedy.
NiO Reporting a Crime demands a transparent and thorough investigation. "It must be determined how many people were inside the establishment, what its authorized capacity was, whether there were sufficient evacuation routes and protocols, and especially if there were any failures or omissions that contributed to this tragedy," the platform stated.
The platform also made a public call to those who were present: "It is not appropriate to anticipate responsibilities before an investigation, but it is equally unacceptable for Beatriz's death to go unanswered."
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