Díaz-Canel referred to the effects of Hurricane Oscar in Guantánamo and the energy emergency in the country. Photo: @PresidenciaCuba

Havana, October 22 (RHC) --The President of the National Defense Council, Miguel Díaz-Canel, reported this Monday that the Guantanamo municipalities of Imías and San Antonio del Sur are in a state of emergency due to the severe damage caused by Hurricane Oscar in Cuba.

In statements to national television, the Cuban leader confirmed that Oscar, already downgraded to a tropical storm, claimed the lives of six people in San Antonio del Sur.

Díaz-Canel pointed out that in those two areas there were levels of flooding that have no historical records.

He said that at this time members of the Ministry of the Interior and the Revolutionary Armed Forces are carrying out rescue and salvage operations, and are also assessing the possible damages in territories that remain inaccessible.

Regarding the electrical contingency that the country is going through, he explained that there is a notable progress thanks to the deep, intense work based on the expertise of specialists in the field.

He reported that more than 36 percent of the service has been restored, functioning with stability, and it is expected that this figure will increase in the next few hours.

He indicated that after the restoration of the system in Havana, they are seeking to increase the levels of service in the rest of the eastern provinces.

The president considered that the Caribbean nation will soon overcome the energy emergency, caused by the disconnection of the National Electric System, and will enter a stage of management of the generation deficit caused by the lack of fuel.

He recalled that the tense situation in the sector is due to the intensification of the blockade imposed by the United States and the inclusion of the island in the unilateral list of countries sponsoring terrorism.  (Source: Prensa Latina)