Heavy rains, linked to the passage of hurricane Agatha, which hit the Cuban capital and several provinces on Friday, June 3, killed at least three people, and thousands of inhabitants without electricity, according to the authorities.
Read alsoDoes global warming promote hurricanes?
A missing 44-year-old man was found dead in the evening in the western province of Pinar del Rio after falling into a stream, state news site Cubadebate reported, which also reported the disappearance. of another citizen in that region. Two other deaths had already been reported in the province of Havana, including that of a 69-year-old man. Several areas of the capital, including the old town and the center, were affected by the heavy rains.
“People were almost waist deep in water”, said Luis Antonio Torres, first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PPC) in the capital, as he visited a badly affected area, where a bridge fell and water entered some houses. The phenomenon is due to the passage of Hurricane Agatha on Monday in Mexico, downgraded Tuesday to a tropical storm but which could reactivate as a hurricane in the coming days, as it exited the Atlantic, according to the Miami hurricane center. .
Read alsoA record hurricane season in 2020
State media showed footage of rescuers evacuating residents in rowboats. In the capital, 60 housing collapses were recorded and around 400 residents were evacuated, while nearly 2,000 others left their homes themselves to seek shelter, authorities said. In total, 50,000 customers in the province of Havana are without electricity, they said.