A young woman of approximately 21 years lost her life this Tuesday at noon on the Malecón of Havana while attempting to scatter her mother's ashes in the sea, according to CubaNet Noticias based on testimonies from local residents.
The images of the location reveal the conditions under which the tragedy occurred: the pavement was completely wet and the sky was partially cloudy. The sea was not calm; the waves were violent enough to surpass the retaining wall of the Malecón.
At the time the news was reported, the girl's body had not yet been recovered. Several divers were deployed to search for it while dozens of people watched the scene from the shore.
"A woman has just passed away on the Malecón in Havana after scattering the ashes of a relative; they have not yet been able to collect the body," noted a Facebook post that circulated alongside images of the location.
The incident occurs against a backdrop of active waves and adverse weather conditions on the northern coast of Cuba. Just nine days prior, a cold front caused the waves to overflow the Malecón wall, flooding sections of the avenue and forcing vehicles to navigate with extreme caution. The Meteorological Institute had forecasted northern and northeastern winds with strong gusts and rip currents capable of generating water accumulation in low-lying areas for that date. By the end of October, new episodes of strong winds and coastal flooding are anticipated.
The practice of scattering ashes from the Malecón is relatively common among Cuban families, but it poses a serious risk when the waves are intense, as it requires getting close to the edge or even into the water.
This death adds to a series of recent tragedies along the Havana coastline. In early October, 16-year-old Luis Carlos Romero Murdoch went missing after being swept away by the sea in a rocky area of the bay known as the Shark Cave; the search had to be suspended due to strong waves. In July, another person died after falling into the sea near Paseo Street right on the Malecón. In February, a newlywed couple was rescued after becoming trapped by rough seas with waves exceeding four meters in some areas.
In the last four years, at least four deaths or disappearances have been documented at the Malecón and the bay of Havana, a figure that reflects the lack of permanent surveillance along the coast and the absence of basic security infrastructure in one of the most frequented public spaces in the Cuban capital.
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