In the wake of a serious accident in Moa, Holguín, four individuals remain in critical condition after a tractor fell from a bridge on Saturday afternoon. The other seven passengers involved in the incident are reported to be in stable condition, according to official sources.
The accident occurred around 5:30 PM when a tractor carrying 11 people—eight adults and three children aged four, 13, and 14—plunged off a bridge leading to the Ernesto Che Guevara mining company. Although there were no fatalities, all 11 individuals on board suffered injuries. Among them, four are in critical condition, including a four-year-old girl, while the others sustained minor injuries.
In the latest update provided on Saturday night, Dr. Manuel Galbán Blanco, director of the Guillermo Luis Fernández General Hospital in Moa, informed La Voz del Níquel radio station that four patients remain in critical condition. Three of these patients are suffering from severe multiple injuries, including depressed skull fractures and broken limbs.
Details of the Injured
The critically injured include Richelmi Calderón Acosta, 37, from San Germán, who has a skull trauma and fractures in the lower limbs; Ricardo Enrique Zaldívar Álvarez, 46, from the Armando Mestre district in Moa, with skull, tibia, fibula, and humerus fractures; and Yordanis Batista López, 46, also from the Armando Mestre district, with a skull fracture. These three have been transferred to provincial hospitals for further treatment.
Dr. Galbán also reported that the four-year-old girl, Alexa Pérez Bidet, is critically injured but only has a fractured humerus and a simple skull trauma and is otherwise in "good general condition." Due to her age, she was transferred to the provincial pediatric hospital for evaluation by specialists.
Swift Rescue and Medical Response
According to the Holguín Provincial Health Directorate, the accident prompted an immediate response from combined rescue and salvage teams from the Pedro Sotto Alba and Ernesto Che Guevara industries, alongside Command 30. These teams acted quickly to rescue the vehicle's occupants.
All 11 injured were attended to by the on-duty medical staff at Moa’s hospital, with additional doctors called in to assist with the emergency care, as noted by Dr. Galbán.
Throughout 2024, Holguín province has witnessed over 290 accidents, resulting in at least 28 deaths and over 310 injuries, reported the Cuban News Agency.