Havana/Almost a week after the torrential rains left by the imelda storm in Santiago de Cuba, two people remain missing. This was reported to The official press The governor of the province, Manuel Falcón Hernández, without offering details of the disappearances beyond that one occurred in the municipality of Contramaestre and another in Mella, where, said the official, “the search and rescue work is maintained activated.”
Falcón Hernández also referred to Two fatalities Accounted so far because of the storm, two men aged 53 and 60, respectively, died from the collapse of their home, at dawn. The first has not transcended the identity but of the second: Luis Mario Pérez Coitorio.
The house was located on a hillside of the Veguita cast of Galo, in Santiago de Cuba and, according to the official version, disseminated by TV Santiago, it was not an apt place to live. “Family members present at the scene informed the authorities that while they had Luis Mario’s custody, he had an adequate coexistence and a safe home, but unfortunately he decided to return. They even asked him to pass with them the current storm taking into account the vulnerability of their home,” the publication said.
Numerous homes were affected, as well as hospitals and schools, mainly in “vulnerable areas”
In the balance of this Monday, the governor regretted that Imelda, who passed through the Eastern province last weekend, left “severe material damage and human impacts.” Numerous homes were affected, as well as hospitals and schools, mainly in “vulnerable areas” of Ciudad Héroe and Guama.
The force of the rains left, in the latter municipality, an important structural damage on the Cañizo bridge. “Currently, the only visible and functional part of the bridge is the upper slab, which represents a potential risk for vehicles and pedestrians. Any additional weight on the structure could compromise its stability, so that extreme caution is required when traveling through the area,” said official sources.
The Cañizo bridge connects several rural communities with the center of the municipality and is used daily by residents, transporters and basic services, indicates the information. However, the road has not been cut completely, although it is requested to “limit traffic and establish security measures to avoid accidents.”
Another damaged infrastructure has been the electricity grid, already weakened. The general director in the province, Javier Calero Román, indicated that there were falls of posts and failures in distribution lines, especially in the Guama area and the city of Santiago.
Imelda also left more than 18,000 evacuated in Guantanamo, and forced the authorities to suspend classes at all levels of teaching in that province and in Santiago.
The Hydraulic Use Company of Santiago de Cuba said that they were collected 8.2 million cubic meters In the 16 reservoirs of the province, which until now suffered a great drought.
