Two Fatalities in Building Collapse in Havana / Augusto Cesar San Martin

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Rescue brigades extract the bodies from the rubble. Photo: Augusto César San Martín

HAVANA, Cuba , November 29, 2013 , www.cubanet.org.- A man and a woman died at noon today in the collapse of a building located at 619 Campanario Street, between Reina and Salud in Central Havana.

The couple lived with seven other families on the first floor of the building declared uninhabitable.

According to eye-witnesses, the collapse began on the stairs of the two-story building. Three of the residents had time to reach the exit. The victims were sleeping when one of the walls on the second floor collapsed on the stairs.

The two children living there were in school.

Fire crews and forensic medicine worked until 4:15 pm to rescued the bodies.

Facade of the affected building
Facade of the affected building. Photo Augusto Cesar San Martin.

One of the neighbors said that last week the neighbors had alerted the local authorities about the danger of the building collapsing.

At 4:30 pm, a second collapse occurred, this one of the roof of a house located at 612 Zanja at Lealtad in the same municipality, alarming the neighbors.

One of the affected who went out to the Campanario Street for help said there were no casualties, during a conversation with the deputy of the Popular Power in the area.

The heavy rains of the last 24 hours have caused the Havana Bay Tunnel to be closed because of flooding, along with San Lazaro Avenue in Central Havana.

Every time it rains non-stop for several days on the capital, old buildings collapse.

Cubanet, 29 November 2013