According to Cuban authorities, a building in Havana’s historic center that housed 13 families partially collapsed, killing three people and injuring at least two more.
Authorities in Havana claimed that among the three fatalities were a resident and two firefighters who became trapped in the building while assisting with the evacuation.
A component of the three-story structure collapsed Tuesday night, while other sections collapsed early Wednesday.
While the cause of the collapse was not immediately understood, the region includes some aging structures that are in need of repair and deteriorate in tropical rains such as those currently affecting the island.
The mayor of Old Havana, Alexis Acosta Silva, told local media that there were 54 individuals in the structure at the time of the fall. Families were evacuated to a neighboring school, and no damage to surrounding structures was observed.
Poor maintenance of existing residential buildings and the slow pace of new construction have been major issues among Cubans.
Vivian Rodrguez, Cuba’s Director of Housing, stated this week that the island has a housing deficit of 800 dwellings, particularly in the provinces of Havana, Holguin, Santiago de Cuba, and Camagüey.
According to government data from 2020, Cuba had 3.9 million residences. Nearly 40% of these were in fair to poor condition.
