Holguin/Nine days after the explosions that occurred in Rafael Freyre, Holguín, the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces declares the 13 soldiers missing in the incident dead. In a statement made public this Wednesdayafter having maintained absolute silence on the subjectthe authorities described the event as “an accident at a site that stored war material belonging to the Holguín Military Region, in the Eastern Army.”
The Ministry still does not specify exactly how many explosions occurred, but assures that “after several days of intense work” to find out what happened, “it was determined that the possible cause that caused the event is associated with an electrical failure caused by a short circuit. inside the facility.”
They also detail that they are still unable to access the scene of the incident. “Given the extreme complexity that exists on the ground as a result of the explosions, the effects of accumulated gases and the severe damage caused, as well as the real danger of collapses due to the structural damage to the work, it has not been possible to reach to the place where the 13 companions who heroically faced the incident with the aim of preventing its spread are located,” they indicate.
They conclude that the area is “inaccessible” “and consequently there is no possibility of life in the place”
However, they conclude that the area is “inaccessible” “and consequently there is no possibility of life in the place.” They thus imply that it may not be possible to recover the bodies.
Likewise, they assure that before writing the press release, they already informed the family members of the victims, who are: the recruits of the mandatory military service Leinier Jorge Sánchez (only 18 years old, and son of the secretary of the president of the Municipal Assembly of Popular Power of Rafael Freyre, Alexis Driggs Gómez, Gretel María Franco), Liander José García Oliva, Brian Lázaro Rojas Long, Yunior Hernández Rojas, Rayme Rojas Rojas, José Carlos Guerrero García, Frank Antonio Hidalgo Almaguer, Carlos Alejandro Acosta Silva and Héctor Adrián Batista Zayas, in addition to the four officers Carlos Carreño, Orlebanis Tamé Torres, Yoennis Pérez Durán and Leonar Palma Matos.
Until this moment, the only activity of the authorities that the neighbors had seen had been the flight of several drones over the disaster area. According to what he told 14ymedio a relative of the disappeared – who requested anonymity because they were prohibited from speaking to the media or even publish on networks–, they were using the devices to “measure the temperature from the air” and check if it could be accessed by land.
