A tragic accident occurred in the Cuban capital during the heavy rains recorded in recent hours, when a boy between 10 and 13 years old (age still unconfirmed) was sucked into an open drain amid severe flooding.
The event took place at the intersection of Vía Blanca and 10 de Octubre, one of the areas most affected by the rains in the city.
The official journalist Lázaro Manuel Alonso confirmed the child’s death. Through his social media, Alonso reported that “following the intense rains this Monday and the flooding caused in the west, the death of a minor in the capital has been reported.”
The communicator referred to the images shared on social media that document the unfortunate incident in which a child was walking through a flooded area and is believed to have fallen into a sewage manhole.
Statement from the Government of Havana
The capital’s government issued a statement providing details about the incident, indicating that the minor was traveling unaccompanied by an adult and in defiance of the warnings issued by the Civil Defense and the Institute of Meteorology regarding the dangers of moving through flooded areas.
“On Monday afternoon, an incident occurred at the intersection of Vía Blanca and Villanueva in the municipality of Habana Vieja. A minor who was walking alone through that flooded area following heavy rains, without the supervision of an adult and contrary to the warnings issued during the day and in previous days by the Civil Defense and the Meteorological Institute, did not notice the presence of a manhole, which was sucked in by the force of the water,” the statement indicated.
The local government reported that upon receiving the emergency call to 106, rescue and recovery operations were immediately initiated with the forces of the Ministry of the Interior trained to handle such contingencies.
Authorities from the Communist Party, the Government, and local firefighters were present in the area.