14ymedio, Havana, 13 December 2023 — The thing that residents of the building on the corner of San Lázaro and Perseverancia streets in Central Havana feared most finally happened early Wednesday. Heavy rains that had lashed the Cuban capital for hours led to a partial collapse of the building, which has been in danger of falling down for years.
Fallen building debris partially blocked traffic on San Lázaro Street, one of Havana’s most important thoroughfares. The Municipal Assembly confirmed the news on its Facebook page, adding that no one had been injured and that those affected had been transferred to a shelter.
The building, whose precarious situation 14ymedio had reported on last August, is located in one of the areas most affected by deterioration and lack of maintenance. Proximity to the sea, frequent coastal flooding, salty sea air and strong coastal winds have also contributed to the demise of a significant number of other buildings on San Lázaro Street as well.
Though the entire avenue is under threat, from its starting point at the Malecon to its terminus at the University of Havana’s grand staircase, it is the stretch from Paseo del Prado to Belascoaín Street that is most affected. It was in this precise area that this morning’s partial collapse occurred.
14ymedio confirmed that, by early morning, most of the debris from the collapse had been removed from the street though some fragments remained in piles on the sidewalk. No warning tape surrounded the site but passersby avoided going near the corner and preferred walking almost in the middle of the roadway rather than risk more debris falling on their heads.
Las lluvias en La #Habana hacen colapsar parte de un edificio que llevaba años en peligro de derrumbe https://t.co/BC430uIfMP