Tenants escape injury as second building collapses in Cuba

Collapsing buildings in Cuba create worry among homeowners.

HAVANA, Cuba, Friday February 3, 2012 — Another occupied building collapsed in Havana Tuesday, making it the second in two weeks.

And fears about the safety of the country’s housing stock are mounting as the rainy season approaches in May.

The latest building to collapse was on Zanja street, just four blocks away from where the first building collapsed on the corner of Infanta and Salud on January 17.

Three people died and six were injured in the first incident three weeks ago, but there were no injuries or deaths recorded from Tuesday’s collapse.

Eye witness reports indicate that the collapse occurred gradually starting with a room on the ground floor.

As a result residents from neighbouring buildings have moved their furniture into the streets out of fear and to state their demands for a solution to the problem.

While some have been given allocations in public shelters, others are refusing to go stating their demands for better options.

Meanwhile, the Cuban government has designed a formula to provide home improvement loans and grants, but it is understood that they do not allow for major structural work.

According to reports many of the buildings in Cuba are over 500 years old and are in such a state of deterioration the best option would be to have them demolished.

However, this is not feasible without a plan to house those currently still living in such buildings. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)