As Hurricane Ian passed through western Cuba it caused the total collapse of 38 homes in Havana, while another 138 suffered partial damage, according to the capital’s government this Tuesday.
According to a report by the local newspaper Tribuna de La Habana, a total of 1,227 dwellings were affected by the atmospheric phenomenon, while the TV channel Canal Habana disclosed on its Facebook profile that, after the survey carried out, there were 175 in the city with total collapse of roofs. Another 815 partially lost their roofs.
The Havana government reported that state enterprises would be committed to repairing 729 of these homes, while the recovery of more than 500 would be assumed by their owners with their own efforts.
The directors of the Electricity Enterprise of Havana assured that 13 municipalities are already normalized, which represented that more than 99% of the clients had service. In the Boyeros and La Lisa municipalities, work was being done to close the circuits that remained open.
Regarding the water supply, the authorities of the capital reported that 98% of the pumping equipment was active and that the number of people who must be supplied with tank trucks was reduced from 11,000 to 7,000, according to Tribuna.
The housing fund and the electrical infrastructure were the most affected by the hydrometeorological event that crossed the western province of Pinar del Río a week ago from south to north, leaving three people dead and severe material damage also in nearby territories such as Artemisa, Havana and Mayabeque.
The number of deaths later increased to five with the death in the capital of two workers from the Electricity Conglomerate (UNE), who suffered accidents while participating in the work of recovering the damage caused by the hurricane.
Indirectly and according to the official version, the hurricane caused the collapse of the National Electric System (SEN), leaving all the country’s thermoelectric plants without generation, after a situation of continuous cuts for months due to breakages and lack of maintenance and fuel in the plants for their operation.
The prolonged blackouts of several days that followed the passage of the cyclone generated social protests, mainly in neighborhoods of the capital, although similar reactions were also registered in other parts of the country.
