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By: Roberto Morejón

Cubans received with dismay the news of the accident at a thermoelectric power plant in the west of the country, where almost one thousand specialists and workers were carrying out maintenance work.

 The intense and uninterrupted rescue of the workers trapped in the collapse of a part of the chimney of the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric power plant ended with the death of two people and an equal number of injured but without danger to their lives.

 Once again, rescue units, firemen, and members of the Red Cross, among others trained in this type of event, deployed a titanic task to save the injured and recover the bodies of the deceased.

 The accident occurred at a time when Cuba's electric branch was carrying out maintenance and repairs in several thermoelectric power plants.

 Thousands of employees are working hard in technical procedures that demand dedication and bravery to reduce service outages and give a longer useful life to these fundamental sites for electricity generation.

 The tasks often involve placing the workers in cramped quarters due to the nature of the equipment.

 As for the rescue and salvage personnel involved in the accident at the thermoelectric plant in the western province of Matanzas, it is necessary to highlight their skill, courage, and altruism.

 These qualities also stood out when such brigades faced two major accidents in Cuba in 2022.

 In May, the Saratoga Hotel in Havana exploded with an unfortunate death toll of more than 40 people.

 The rescue and salvage personnel, the fire department, and other people reacted quickly to the tragedy due to the partial collapse of the building, where no guests were staying overnight, but which was undergoing repairs.

 A fire in August last year at the Supertanker Base in the industrial zone of Matanzas affected several of the tanks and caused the death of 17 people. Cuba received assistance from Mexico and Venezuela in response to the challenge.

 Today work is being carried out at the Saratoga Hotel and at the Supertanker Base to make progress in restoring the useful life of those sites, despite the material limitations caused by the U.S. blockade.

 After the understandable shock following the accident at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, its self-sacrificing personnel will continue their strategic mission, with the memory of those who fell in the line of duty.