Considerable hurricane damage reported in Cuba's industrial zone

Havana, Nov 9 (RHC) Reports are circulating today about substantial damage in the Mariel Special Economic Development Zone (ZEDM) in Cuba, attributed to Hurricane Rafael.

The Granma newspaper, in its Saturday edition, emphasizes that this meteorological phenomenon, which swept across the western part of the country on November 6, had a profound effect on this industrial hub of the nation.

According to the National Defense Council, the Mariel Container Terminal, one of the facilities affected by the weather event, was severely impacted. José Leonardo Sosa Barrios, deputy director of the terminal, confirmed the extent of the damage.

He explained that the restoration process will start with a phased rebuilding of the yard, allowing the terminal to swiftly resume operations and begin shipping containerized cargo. Within the framework of the project, their focus will be on relocating certain areas, with the goal of maintaining the functionality of the building during this initial phase.

The primary impacts were seen on the roofs, walls, and exteriors of structures like the Guajaibón Photovoltaic Solar Park and the Suchel tbv Detergent Factory, both belonging to the Vietnamese Thai Binh group. The hurricane also damaged the storehouse for raw materials, the storehouse for finished products, and the roofs of the buildings.

The CEO of Thai Binh Group, Tu Tranh, announced that the diaper factory, situated across from the detergent factory, also suffered similar damage, and they are actively working to finish the restoration process within two weeks.

On the other hand, the Brascuba cigarette factory suffered significant damage, as reported by the ZEDM.

The co-president of Brascuba S.A., Robinson Tamayo González, declared that the roof of the cigarette manufacturing facility, where all the production equipment is situated, was lifted.

He explained that approximately 40% of the roof was lifted, resulting in the equipment becoming wet. Despite the partial exposure, however, all the finished products from previous days remain in perfect condition due to the intact warehouse.

The director of Brascuba emphasized that there are still challenging days ahead, with the need for damage assessment, recovery efforts, and work on the mechanical and electronic components of the machinery.

The Mariel Special Economic Zone is a distinctive entity in Cuba, located in a strategic position in the heart of the Caribbean, at the intersection of the major maritime shipping routes in the Western Hemisphere.

This entity is governed by the Council of Ministers, which is in charge of managing the zone, overseeing its operations, and creating and executing its development and business initiatives.

The ZEDM offers a cutting-edge manufacturing and supply chain infrastructure, which enables increased domestic manufacturing while reducing import expenses, promoting expansion, creating job opportunities, and attracting foreign direct investment.

The Zone is situated in the northern section of the Artemisa province, specifically in the area most impacted by the storm, approximately 45 kilometers west of Havana. The Zone officially commenced operations on November 1, 2013. (Source: PL)