A tragic accident occurred this Saturday in Pinar del Río, resulting in the death of a young man and several injuries after a bus overturned en route to Cayo Jutías beach, located on the northern coast of the westernmost province of Cuba.
According to a post in the Facebook group ‘Accidentes Buses & Camiones’, the incident took place in Viñales. The bus, identified as a "Diana," was headed to Cayo Jutías. Photos shared on the site showed the bus lying on its side along the roadside. A crane was dispatched to the scene to remove the vehicle from the brush into which it had veered.
In one of the images, the deceased can be seen covered with a sheet on the road. A Facebook user commented that the deceased was an 18-year-old from Pinar del Río. The group’s moderator confirmed the young man's death and added that four others were injured in the incident.
As of this writing, neither the authorities who arrived at the scene nor the local state-run media have reported on the tragic event. The identities of the deceased and the injured, as well as the cause of the accident, remain unknown.
Diana Buses: Safety Concerns
Designed primarily for interurban service, the Diana buses (nationally produced) have a capacity of 28 seated and 15 standing passengers. Equipped with a single door, these vehicles were intended for travel on narrow roads due to their small dimensions.
"Those Girón buses are worthless. It’s a good thing it happened on that stretch. If it had been in a cliff area, it would have been catastrophic," remarked an internet user in the comments.
In early April, a bus driver died after crashing into a house on the road to La Coloma in Pinar del Río.
The incident took place at km 7 on the road to La Coloma. The bus was heading to the provincial capital when the driver lost control and collided with a house. "Today, we lost an excellent friend, father, neighbor, driver, and also a founding member of this 'Bus Drivers Forever Family,' victim of a fatal accident. How sad this news is!" wrote a user in the aforementioned group.
The post garnered numerous comments mourning the driver’s death. According to reports, the bus was traveling to Pinar del Río when the driver lost control and crashed into a house.
A year earlier, another driver was severely injured when his truck overturned after veering off a secondary road in a curve near the municipality of Minas de Matahambre in Pinar del Río.
A witness to the accident posted several photos on social media, showing a red truck overturned on the side of a secondary road in a rural area with dense vegetation.
Understanding the Bus Accident in Pinar del Río
Given the severity of the recent bus accident in Pinar del Río, here are some frequently asked questions and their answers to provide more context and understanding of the incident.
What led to the bus accident in Pinar del Río?
The specific cause of the accident is currently unknown, as authorities have not released any information. The bus overturned while en route to Cayo Jutías beach.
Who was the young man who died in the accident?
The victim was an 18-year-old from Pinar del Río. His identity has not been officially confirmed or released by authorities.
How many people were injured in the bus accident?
According to reports, four individuals were injured in the accident.