Explosion at Holguín Military Depot Unveils Grim Realities

Photos circulating on social media reveal the devastating impact of an explosion that occurred on Tuesday at a military weapons depot in Melones, Holguín. Unofficial sources have reported potential casualties and injuries. The disaster, reportedly triggered by a blaze while sorting outdated ammunition, has alarmed residents in the area.

Edmundo Dantés Junior shared an image on Facebook depicting a massive explosion in the distance. "This is one of the most striking photos I saw of the explosions near Melones in the Rafael Freire municipality of Holguín," he commented.

In the comments section, Rayner González mentioned, "A neighbor of my grandmother from Freyre passed away; he was 18 years old. Many others are missing. In Freyre, they are urging people to donate blood. There are deceased children who were entering military service."

Earlier, the influencer noted, "Explosions can still be heard in Rafael Freyre, Holguín," and shared additional images revealing the extent of the disaster.

Community Concerns and Calls for Information

Meanwhile, CubaNet, a news outlet, posted photos of the explosion and military presence on the streets on its Facebook page. "Images of the explosions at the military unit storing weapons in Melones, Rafael Freyre municipality, Holguín province. We urge our audience to provide information on the incident and the status of young military recruits," the outlet stated.

Despite the lack of updates from official media regarding the explosion or possible casualties, a young woman named Dayannis Valdés pleaded in the comments, "Don't stop the search; my cousin Jorge Félix is among the missing."

The Cuban Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces has not released any new statements. However, an individual confirmed on Facebook there are fatalities, including officers. The Ministry's latest update mentions that the provincial Defense Council and a commission from the Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces are assessing the situation caused by the fire that broke out in a weapons storage facility in Melones, Rafael Freyre, on the morning of January 7th.

Efforts to Secure the Area and Support Residents

According to the statement, 361 residents living nearby have been safeguarded, and efforts continue to evaluate the condition of personnel involved in managing the incident and assess the damage to property.

The area remains under surveillance with the involvement of key authorities from the Party, Government, Armed Forces, Ministry of the Interior, and Civil Defense, who are maintaining regular communication with the public and have pledged to update citizens as developments unfold.

Furthermore, over 1,200 individuals were evacuated from Melones on Tuesday following the explosions at the depot managed by the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Joel Queipo Ruiz, the first secretary of the PCC in Holguín, announced on Facebook that the provincial Defense Council and a Ministry of Revolutionary Armed Forces commission have secured 494 residents near the site of the fire as of Tuesday morning.

He explained that actions are ongoing to assess the state of initial responders to the event and the damages incurred. The authorities are actively monitoring the area, engaging with the community, and promising timely updates on the situation.

In a comment, Jorge Montero Góngora justified the lack of official news, suggesting that information will be released when appropriate. He noted that access to the incident site is restricted until it is confirmed that no further detonations will occur, as hasty actions could lead to "worse outcomes."

Montero condemned "vile speculations" he believes aim to incite more distress among the affected and their families. He advised against relying on unfounded rumors and comments, despite evident injuries as reported by families on social media, while criticizing the regime's attempts to suppress information.