Explosion at Guayos Festival Leaves Two in Critical Condition and Two Seriously Injured

Following an explosion involving multiple mortars in the fireworks area of La Loma neighborhood during the early hours of the Guayos festival in Sancti Spíritus, two patients remain in critical condition, while two others are seriously injured due to severe burns.

The incident resulted in six men getting injured. Initially treated at a local clinic, they were quickly transferred to Camilo Cienfuegos Provincial General Hospital in Sancti Spíritus for specialized medical care, according to official sources.

Dr. Tatiana Hernández González, a second-degree specialist in Plastic Surgery and Burn Treatment at the hospital, informed the Escambray newspaper that among the hospitalized patients, two are in critical condition, two are seriously injured, another has a less severe prognosis, and the sixth will receive outpatient care.

“These are polytraumatized patients with varying degrees of burns and wounds, requiring sutures, deep venous access, and other standard procedures for managing their injuries both locally and systemically,” explained Dr. Hernández.

She added that five patients remain in the hospital's Burn Unit, housed in isolated rooms for their care. She assured that necessary supplies and creams for their treatment are available.

A multidisciplinary team, including anesthesiologists, surgeons, plastic surgery and burn treatment specialists, and nurses, individually assessed each patient.

As of now, no further updates on the injured patients' conditions have been released. The identities of those affected remain undisclosed; local media have only revealed that one is 50 years old, while the others are between 30 and 40.

The Ministry of the Interior is investigating the explosion's cause.

This year marks the centenary of the Guayos festival, recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Originally scheduled for early November, it was postponed despite local discontent. Residents had been preparing for months, as is customary.

Local authorities cited economic, health, and social sensitivity reasons following Hurricane Melissa, which devastated eastern Cuba, and a challenging epidemiological situation due to the spread of various arboviruses.

However, many Guayos residents viewed the suspension as unjustified, interpreting it as further evidence of the political regime's lack of commitment to preserving popular cultural expressions amid the country's ongoing crisis.

Such accidents are not unprecedented. Earlier this month, an explosion in Camajuaní, Villa Clara, caused a significant fire at a pyrotechnics warehouse. The blaze, originating in a home traditionally associated with fireworks production for Camajuaní's renowned festival, damaged seven homes, two of which suffered total losses. Fortunately, no one was injured.

In March 2018, a pyrotechnic accident during Camajuaní's festival left two men with severe burns in critical condition.

In late 2017, a fireworks depot fire during Remedios festival, also in Villa Clara, injured 39 people, eight of whom were in "extremely critical" condition, including three minors.