Rescue teams working tirelessly through the night have retrieved the bodies of two individuals trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed building in Remedios, Villa Clara. The incident marks a tragic end to the search efforts.
Henry Omar Pérez, a journalist from the Cuban News Agency, announced the somber news on his Facebook profile.
"At 6:50 AM, after intense hours of work, the lifeless bodies of the last two trapped individuals were extracted. Rest in Peace," Pérez wrote on social media.
The collapse resulted in two fatalities, with at least one person rescued alive and taken to a hospital during the early morning hours.
The Collapse and Rescue Efforts
The building, formerly the Basic Secondary School in the Countryside (ESBEC) No. 1, locally known as "La 1," collapsed on Wednesday. Located on the road to Rojas in Remedios, the structure gave way while several people were inside.
Unconfirmed local sources suggested that those inside were scavenging for rebar and other construction materials, a common practice in Cuba due to chronic shortages of supplies.
Authorities initially estimated that three individuals were inside, though unverified reports on social media speculated the number could be as high as 14. The trapped individuals were identified as residents of Caibarién, a neighboring coastal municipality.
A high-risk and complex rescue operation was swiftly launched, involving the Provincial Fire Command, the Red Cross, and the Integrated Medical Emergency System (SIUM). Heavy machinery, including cranes and shovels, was brought in, and a generator was set up to provide night-time lighting.
Use of Drones and Initial Rescue
Firefighters employed drones to accurately locate victims within the debris, a technique adopted in Cuba following the Hotel Saratoga explosion in 2022.
By 10:11 PM on Wednesday, teams maintained contact with at least one trapped person, providing them with water. Pérez reported that this interaction "allows for ongoing assistance while clearing efforts continue."
Just before midnight, rescuers successfully extracted one individual alive and transported them to a hospital. The search for others continued relentlessly until dawn on Thursday.
The operations were overseen by Susely Morfa González, the First Secretary of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party in Villa Clara, and Milaxy Yanet Sánchez Armás, a municipal authority. Morfa González confirmed on social media platform X the presence of "Firefighters, Red Cross, and SIUM on site."
Abandoned Structures: An Ongoing Threat in Cuba
The Remedios collapse is part of a disturbing trend of building failures across Cuba, a consequence of decades of neglect.
The former ESBECs, established in 1971 as part of an educational model that integrated study with agricultural work, once numbered around 1,400. Their dismantling began in 2009 and was formalized by the Communist Party's Guide 148 in 2011, leaving many structures abandoned and in severe disrepair.
In Havana alone, approximately 1,000 buildings collapse each year, with the national housing deficit exceeding 800,000 homes. Recently, two men were trapped in Colón, Matanzas during an illegal demolition for materials, and in May, part of the roof of the historic El Confite café in Colón collapsed, despite being listed in the municipal risk reduction plan since 2021.
Pérez, who covered the rescue from the start, documented the human effort involved: "All authorities remain present, fulfilling the sacred duty to serve."
Insights into the Remedios Building Collapse
How many people were confirmed dead in the Remedios building collapse?
Two people were confirmed dead following the collapse.
What caused the building to collapse?
The building, an abandoned former school, collapsed while individuals were reportedly scavenging for construction materials, a practice common due to material shortages in Cuba.
Who oversaw the rescue operations?
The operations were supervised by Susely Morfa González and Milaxy Yanet Sánchez Armás, alongside other emergency services.