Building collapse in Old Havana leaves two rescuers dead

Havana, Oct 4 (RHC) Two rescuers, a woman and a man, died this Wednesday during rescue efforts after the collapse of a multi-family building in the Cuban municipality of Old Havana.

The rescuers are Yoandra Suárez, 40 years old, rescue technician with more than a decade in the job; and Luis Alejandro Llerena, 23 years old, professional rescuer.

The General Directorate of Health of Havana reported that Yoandra Suárez died as a result of asphyxiation, suffocation and thoracoabdominal compression.

The Granma newspaper highlighted that from the age of 16 she was a volunteer firefighter and worked as a teacher at the National Firefighters School, where she taught rescue techniques.

At this time, a search is underway in the rubble for Ramón Páez, 79, who was in the building at the time of the incident, and it was learned that the weather is making rescue actions difficult.

According to what the head of the Cuban Fire Department, First Colonel Luis Carlos Guzmán, informed the media, the duration of the work cannot be predicted, due to the care they require.

He detailed that two collapses occurred. After the first, a few minutes later the forces arrived and managed to remove a man. That is when the second collapse occured, and the Rescue and Rescue technicians were already inside the property.

Guzmán explained that differentiated work has been done with the family members, since they have been informed, and they are cared for by a multidisciplinary group of doctors.

The incident occurred in the early hours of today in a building located on Lamparilla Street No. 362, between Villegas and Aguacate. (Source: PL)