Survivor of Major Crash in Granma Highlights Reckless Driving as Cause

"It was inevitable that it would happen," wrote Yori Andino, who survived alongside her daughter and husband a catastrophic bus crash early Sunday morning. The state-owned bus was shattered on the Bayamo–Las Tunas highway, despite several passengers having criticized the drivers' reckless behavior moments before the incident.

The crash occurred shortly after 1:00 a.m. at kilometer 727 when the bus, rented by the National Center for Scientific Research (CNIC) of BioCubaFarma, lost control and collided with a fixed object. It was traveling from Havana to Santiago de Cuba at the time.

Andino's account, shared on her Facebook profile, reveals the terror experienced: the bus partially overturned, screams of fear, her daughter crying, and the total chaos in the darkness. "I feel pain, immense pain for those who I don't know if they survived," wrote Andino, who is also the director of the Dolores Concert Hall in Santiago de Cuba.

According to Andino, amidst the darkness and chaos, her primary concern was ensuring her daughter's safety. Some passengers broke windows to escape, while she and her husband lifted their child up to be helped by strong hands from below. Eventually, someone managed to break open the rear door, allowing most passengers to escape with bruises but no serious injuries.

Andino emphasized that the accident was a result of the drivers' negligence, who, from Sancti Spíritus, accelerated recklessly despite passengers' protests and disregarded the value of life. She confessed to having a premonition of the crash an hour before it happened.

She also commended the prompt and responsible actions of the police, firefighters, and paramedics. Rescuer Aris Arias Batalla also made a statement on Facebook, asserting that the "essential factors" were human error and negligent drivers, while also acknowledging the poor condition of public roads and vehicles.

Once again, reckless driving claims lives in Cuba, as survivors' testimonies reveal that this was not a random event, but a preventable tragedy. Preliminary reports indicate two fatalities—one person died at the scene, another at the hospital—and at least 27 injured, including a minor. Six of the injured required surgery, as confirmed by the director of Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Provincial Hospital in Bayamo, where the victims were treated.

Joint forces from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) are conducting an investigation to determine the precise causes of this tragic event. The situation is still unfolding, with authorities expected to provide more details soon about the injured and the accident's circumstances.

This Sunday's accident adds to a troubling series of traffic incidents in Granma province during 2025. On Saturday, August 2nd, a violent collision at the Bayamo exit toward Holguín resulted in multiple injuries after a tourist car crashed into a private vehicle, splitting it in two, shocking nearby residents.

In June, a motorcyclist was struck by a bus after ignoring a stop sign in front of the Las Novedades store in Bayamo. That same week, a container truck fell into a ditch on the city's ring road.

In April, a mass accident in the Los Guayitos neighborhood, Río Cauto municipality, injured three people, including a minor. The incident involved a semi-truck from Camagüey carrying 11 passengers that lost control in rainy conditions.

Between January and April this year, there were 2,377 traffic accidents in Cuba. Although the number of accidents decreased compared to 2024, they were deadlier, with an increase in fatalities despite fewer injuries.