In addition to Old Havana and Cerro, the upscale neighborhoods of El Vedado and Miramar are also affected.
By Natalia Lopez Moya (14ymedio)
HAVANA TIMES – A group of astonished and curious neighbors gathered this Friday afternoon in front of a building shaped like a small castle on 26th Street between 27th and 29th in the Playa municipality, of Havana. A creaking sound came from the building this morning, as a crack spread across its façade, and shortly afterward, part of its upper floor collapsed.
The rains of recent days have caused at least 19 partial collapses in the Cuban capital, according to an official source consulted by 14ymedio who preferred to remain anonymous. Several people were injured in these incidents, and one person died when a wall collapsed on Calzada del Cerro, between Patria and Carvajal Streets. The downpours have affected the fragile housing infrastructure, which has been suffering from decades of lack of maintenance, no investment in the residential sector, and overcrowding that has forced families to divide spaces in an improvised manner.
Surrounded by an intense Police and State Security operation, the perimeter around the collapse seemed like a war zone this afternoon. “Luckily, no one was injured,” clarified an elderly woman who, standing near a sales stand for agricultural products, had become an impromptu source of information for newcomers, given the secrecy of the official authorities.
“I was at home and heard