According to the local press, Yoandra Suárez, 40, a rescue and technician, with more than 11 years in the job, lost her life; and Luis Alejandro Llerena, 23 years old, professional rescuer.

The General Directorate of Health of Havana reported that Yoandra Suárez died due to asphyxiation, suffocation and thoracoabdominal compression.

From the age of 16 she was a volunteer firefighter and worked as a teacher at the National Fire School, teaching classes in rescue and its techniques, Granma newspaper highlighted.

At this time, a search is underway in the rubble for Ramón Páez, 79, who was in the building at the time of the incident, and it was learned that the inclement weather is making rescue actions difficult.

According to what the head of the Cuban Fire Department, Luis Carlos Guzmán, informed the media, the duration of the work cannot be predicted, due to the care that it entails.

He clarified that two collapses occurred. After the first, forces arrived a few minutes later and managed to remove a man. This is when the second collapse occurs, when the Salvage and Rescue technicians were already inside.

He explained that differentiated work has been done with the family members, they have been informed, and they are cared for by a multidisciplinary group of doctors.

The President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel, from his account in X, assured the Cuban authorities remain aware of the events.

He also regretted the death of a rescuer at the scene and sent condolences to her family.

The incident occurred in the early morning hours in a building located on Lamparilla Street No. 362, between Villegas and Aguacate, in the capital’s municipality of Old Havana.

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