On Sunday, amidst a widespread power outage in Cuba, a fire erupted in an apartment located in zone 23 of Alamar, Havana. The blaze started when the family living there attempted to cook using wood due to the lack of electricity. A video shared on TikTok by user Lidia Rodríguez revealed that two children were present in the home during the incident, but fortunately, there were no injuries.
The video showed smoke billowing from the apartment and firefighters responding to the scene while neighbors and onlookers watched with concern. In the comments section of the post, some users criticized the decision to cook with wood indoors, labeling it as reckless. However, others expressed sympathy, recognizing the desperation of not being able to feed one's children, and pointed fingers at the government for the dire situation.
Comments included sentiments like, "Only they know what they're going through, it's tough"; "You can't blame them, they were just trying to feed their children, the real blame lies with the government and the president"; "Thank goodness there was water available"; and "It's not their fault, it's the government's, poor souls."
Desperate Measures and Government Accountability
Another user shared a harrowing tale of her sister's furniture catching fire while attempting to create smoke to ward off mosquitoes during a power outage. Thankfully, quick action from neighbors prevented a tragedy. Meanwhile, the Electric Company of Havana announced that by 1:00 PM, 759,634 customers across 290 circuits had their power restored, which accounts for 88.12% of the total in the capital.
Additionally, it was reported that seven out of the ten main water supply bridges are operational, with continuous efforts being made to restore the remaining ones. The crisis has underscored the severe challenges faced by Cuban citizens due to the government's failure to provide basic services.