Havana/A fire at the Brisas del Mar Hotel, in Caibarién, Villa Clara, left three wounded workers on Thursday after the explosion of a liquefied gas cylinder. The injured – two chefs and the administrator of the installation – were first transferred to the María del Carmen Sozaya hospital, in the municipality itself, and then to the Arnaldo Milián Castro hospital, in Santa Clara, Dr. Julio César Arosteguí La Rosa, general director of Health in Caibarién reported.
The victims suffered injuries of different consideration, as confirmed The Cuban News Agency (ACN): Two have burns and one a dislocation on the shoulder. The incident occurred in the morning and, according to the testimony of Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Lima, of the Villa Clara Fire Department, the fire was quickly stifled, which prevented it from extending to the rest of the hotel areas. Lima said that “the causes of the incident are investigated”, although the official part attributes the origin to the explosion of the gas cylinder.
So far no balance has been offered on material damage or if the installation will remain temporarily closed, although in several reserve sites on-line It appears as “not available.” The information is concise around the consequences on the tourist operation of the hotel, which is part of the accommodation network of the Commerce, Gastronomy and Services in Caibarién. It also appears linked to the Islazul state hotel chain, with two stars. It has not been informed if there were guests at the time of the accident or if the main structure of the property was affected.
The event reopens the questions about safety systems and gas management in hotel facilities
The lack of details in the official parties reminds other similar episodes on the island, where the first notes often just confirm the fact and point out that “the causes are investigated.”
The event in Caibarién revives the recent memory of the Saratoga Hotel, in Havana, which in May 2022 was the scene of An explosion Much more devastating, also related to a liquefied gas leak. That outbreak, occurred during fuel supply operations – although the authorities never announced the results of the investigation they said they would carry out – destroyed much of the property, caused the death of 47 people and left dozens of injured.
In comparison, the Brisas del Mar incident was of less magnitude, but reopens the questions about the safety systems and the management of gas in hotel and service facilities in Cuba. Precariousness in maintenance, difficulties in replacing obsolete equipment and the shortage of spare parts are factors that raise risks in kitchens, warehouses and boilers.
The Brisas del Mar Hotel is a known installation in this coastal municipality of Villa Clara that tries to take advantage of its proximity to the tourist areas of the North Cayería, such as Cayo Santa María and Cayo Ensenachos. Although it does not have the profile of the great resorts of other chains, it serves as accommodation to national and foreign visitors to the beaches and also to local clients in high season.
For the territory, any affectation in its hotel infrastructure is sensitive, since tourism represents one of the few sources of income in the area, despite being in an unstoppable debacle. Caibarién has also suffered an accelerated urban deterioration in recent years, with losses in its fishing economy and high emigration indices.
