Havana, June 3 (RHC)-- Cuba on Saturday prioritized safeguarding the population after heavy rains caused the collapsing of houses, floods, and loss of human lives in the west of the country.

On Friday, the Cuban head of state Miguel Díaz-Canel stressed that the population should adopt a responsible attitude and not be reckless.

The President instructed the evacuation of citizens from areas at risk of floods and landslides. He also urged to recover all the damages quickly and intensively and, after the rainfall has passed, to clean and unblock the drainage systems.

The National Civil Defense General Staff advised not to travel through flooded areas, cross rivers or swollen streams, and stay away from places where there was a danger of landslides.

It also indicated that citizens remained informed through the media, protected themselves from electrical discharges and did not go to the reservoirs for fishing activities.

The heavy rains have caused 60 partial landslides in the capital and one total landslide in the municipality of Diez de Octubre, which affected nine families.

More than 400 people have been evacuated in 80 centers, while 1,914 citizens were sheltered in the homes of relatives and friends.

The Forecasting Center of the Cuban Institute of Meteorology said Saturday morning that rainfall levels had decreased in western Cuba, but conditions are expected to persist.

There will not be the same impressive accumulated rainfall that reached 200 millimeters in some places. However, there was still a danger of flooding in a short period in low-lying areas and near rivers in the west and center of the Caribbean nation.