MADRID, Spain.- The authorities of the province of Las Tunas reported This Sunday, a tragic event has shaken the community of “Camblor”, in District No. 58 of People’s Council #1 “La Carretera”, in the municipality of Amancio Rodríguez. Since August 24, residents of this town have been shocked by the news of a fatal incident that occurred in a house located on “20 Aniversario” street.
According to the official report issued by the Provincial Government of the People’s Power of Las Tunas on Facebook, a family of three was found in their home, with two of them dead and one seriously affected. Enrique Hernández Zulueta, a 30-year-old man, was found dead in the bathroom of the house, while little Vanesa Hernández Ortiz, only two years old, was found lifeless in bed, in the arms of her mother, Denia Ortiz Rivera, 31 years old. The mother, although with serious breathing difficulties and chest pain, was the only survivor of this tragedy.
The first investigations carried out by the authorities of Public health The local police and forensic medicine department indicate that the cause of the incident appears to be related to the inhalation of carbon monoxide. This toxic gas was allegedly emitted by a 1,200-watt “Saco” brand electric generator, which was owned by the family and had been used to generate electricity during the night. The generator, which was operating inside the home, allegedly caused the gas leak and, with it, the fatal poisoning of the inhabitants of the house.
According to the information, investigations continue to clarify the details of the tragedy.
Power plants are very common among Cuban families who can afford them as an alternative to the prolonged blackouts that the country suffers due to the energy crisis and poor government management.
In the last three years, the Cuban government has extended the deadline for importationn —non-commercial— electric plants with a power greater than 900 watts, which has increased their use in Cuban homes and private businesses.
On the other hand, this is not the first time that a gas leak has caused a tragedy in Cuba. Last Junea worker died after inhaling gas while trying to fix a leak at the EPEP-Centro oil company in Varadero. The worker, Renier García Gómez, head of the Collector Center 7, lost his life when, together with another young man, he tried to repair a gas leak that was underground, and when they opened the area, they both inhaled toxic gases.
In February of this year, three workers at the Guillermón Moncada Port in Santiago de Cuba died from asphyxiation after inhaling a toxic gas while preparing to unload a ship with imported rice. While in 2022 a gas leak caused the explosion at the Saratoga Hotel Havana, an accident that occurred while a liquefied gas cylinder was being installed in the hotel, leaving 47 dead and almost a hundred injured.
Motorcycle explosions: Another deadly risk in Cuban homes
In addition to gas accidents, another danger that has become frequent in Cuba is the explosion of electric motorcycles, known as motorinas. Overcharging lithium batteries and their prolonged connection to the electric current are usually the main causes of these accidents. In many cases, motorcycles are parked inside houses, which increases the risk of devastating fires that leave families in ruin.
Just a few days ago, Five members of a family in Havana died after the explosion of an electric motorcycle inside his house in the municipality of Diez de Octubre.
In June, a similar incident occurred in the capital municipality of La Lisa, when a married couple died and their three children were hospitalized after an electric motorcycle exploded in their home. The fire, which broke out while the family was sleeping, left a nine-year-old boy and two 21-year-old twin girls in critical condition.
