With music and specialized attention, 120 children from the school affected by the explosion that occurred in the Saratoga hotel from Havana, were received this Monday by the Rafael María de Mendive primary school in the Cuban capital.
These schoolchildren are part of the 393 students of the Concepción Arenal primary school, whose building suffered damage in the incident that has cost the lives of at least 35 people, according to the most recent official count.
The local authorities have temporarily distributed the students of this school in Havana among four other schools, until their school is repaired and can reopen its doors, review the Cuban News Agency (ACN).
While this is happening, this Monday a special reception was prepared for this group of children at the nearby Rafael María de Mendive school, the first school day since the Saratoga accident. Accompanied by their parents, the minors were received by representatives of the school, a musical performance and their new classmates, according to the news release.
#ACNreports The Rafael María de Mendive primary school receives #NOW 120 children from the Concepción Arenal school, which was affected by the accident at the Saratoga hotel@ACN_Cuba#Cuba pic.twitter.com/Npi7hW5bqK
— anaACN_cuba (@anaACN_Cuba) May 9, 2022
The Cuban Minister of Education, Ena Elsa Velázquez, was present at this event, insisting on the role of families and the importance of children attending school as soon as possible. Some of these infants, according to their needs, have been given new uniforms and school supplies so that they can continue with their education, the agency points out. EFE.
The Minister of Education also highlighted during her visit to the school that “the psychological care of the children affected by the events at the Saratoga hotel is a priority.” Experts from the Diagnosis and Orientation Center (CDO), the University of Havana and the Central Institute of Pedagogical Sciences will work on her evaluation, said Velázquez.
For her part, Indira Plá Fontanills, head of the Special Educational Level of the municipality of Old Havana, explained that in the schools that will temporarily receive these children, permanent groups have been formed with a psychologist, a specialist from the CDO and two educational psychologists, who have with the support of a child psychiatrist and clinical psychologists.
The first step will be to identify their “emotional affectations” and their family and teaching environment. This process is accompanied by the municipal and provincial directorates of Health, “in order to guarantee the well-being and emotional and psychological stability of the relocated”, he commented, quoted by the ACN.
other report of this medium, points out that, according to the General Works Contractor Company of Havana (Simax), the repair of the Concepción Arenal school will require about three weeks because it is a “prioritized” work.
The person in charge of Simax, Leslie Martey, specified that the main effects on the installation are on the ground, the wooden structures, the carpentry of doors and windows, and the repair of some cracks and cornices.
⚠️ The main effects of the installation are on the floor, the wood framework, the carpentry (including windows and doors), some cracks, cornices, paint and stained glass. pic.twitter.com/XEjyx9FxMN
— Cuban News Agency (@ACN_Cuba) May 9, 2022
The Saratoga hotel in Old Havana, one of the most emblematic in the capital, suffered a serious explosion this Friday, which according to preliminary investigations was due to a gas leak. The Cuban government, which has confirmed that the event was the result of an accident, has so far registered thirty deaths and more than 80 injured, some of them in critical condition.
In addition, emergency teams and rescuers continue their work at the site, searching through the rubble for a dozen people who remain missing. These works will continue until they are all found, according to the island’s authorities.
EFE / OnCuba
