Building Collapses in Havana Amidst Widespread Power Outage in Cuba

A residential building crumbled on Saturday night in the Centro Habana district of the Cuban capital, as the city was engulfed in darkness due to a widespread power outage impacting the entire island. This blackout continues to leave millions without electricity even into Sunday. The collapse occurred at the intersection of Calzada de 10 de Octubre and Santa Irene, as reported on social media by Cuban activist Anamely Ramos González, who shared photos and videos of the event.

“Few scenarios are more macabre than this: being completely in the dark for over a day, and suddenly your house starts falling on you. You can’t even see where the debris is coming from. Neighbors could hear cries for help amidst the darkness,” stated the activist from the San Isidro Movement (MSI) on Facebook.

Eyewitnesses reported that several people were trapped in the debris, their cries for help echoing in the pitch-black environment. “They say even to rescue the trapped individuals, the power wasn’t turned back on. Yet, many State Security agents were present. Let’s hope there are no casualties. This is how we Cubans live, entrusting our fate to supernatural forces. Praying to survive. How much longer must we endure this?” added Ramos González in her post.

The incident unfolded amid one of the island's worst energy crises in years. Since Friday, March 14, a nationwide blackout has left millions of Cubans without power. In Havana, less than two percent of customers had access to electricity on Saturday night.

The outage was caused by a malfunction at the Diezmero substation in Havana, leading to the National Electric System's collapse. This marks the fourth major blackout in less than six months, highlighting the severe vulnerability of the country's electrical infrastructure. Following the failure, the Unión Eléctrica de Cuba (UNE) began efforts to restore service, prioritizing hospitals and food production centers. However, as of the last update, a significant portion of the country remains without power, and authorities have not provided a clear restoration timeline.

The absence of electricity continues to disrupt water supply, food refrigeration, and connectivity on the island, as despair and uncertainty grow among the population. Building collapses in Havana are a recurring issue, exacerbated by neglected maintenance and aging infrastructure.

It is estimated that at least 1,000 partial or total collapses occur annually in the city. Some of the most recent incidents have taken place in Centro Habana, one of the areas most affected by precarious housing conditions. It is not the first time a collapse has occurred in Havana during a blackout, plunging those affected into a double tragedy: the collapse of their homes and the desperation of being trapped in darkness.

In November 2024, during Hurricane Rafael, over 460 collapses, both partial and total, were recorded in the Cuban capital while the city suffered a complete blackout. Many of these structures, already weakened by decades of neglect, could not withstand the intense rains and strong winds, leaving dozens of families homeless. The lack of electricity not only hindered rescue efforts but also heightened the panic of residents, who couldn't see or hear clearly those crying for help beneath the rubble.

In June 2024, another series of blackouts coincided with heavy rains that affected the city's infrastructure, resulting in at least 19 collapses in various parts of Havana. In some cases, the collapses occurred in the early hours, catching residents by surprise while they slept, unable to react in time due to the lack of lighting. Several incidents of this nature have reported casualties and injuries.

The combination of prolonged power cuts and the poor condition of buildings has turned these incidents into a recurring threat for the population, who live in constant fear that their homes might collapse at any moment. While the collapses pose a constant threat to the population, the energy crisis exacerbates the situation. Although the government has announced plans to modernize the electrical infrastructure with support from China, the lack of investment and the country's economic conditions hinder the implementation of effective solutions. With a collapsed electrical system and crumbling urban infrastructure, Cubans face an increasingly critical scenario, where living in fear of losing everything in a collapse or enduring days without electricity has become part of daily life.

At the time of this report, neither the authorities nor official media have commented on the unfortunate incident.