Seven people drowned and two are missing after the great floods caused by the subtropical storm Alberto in Cuba, the Civil Protection Service announced today.
All the victims are men aged 26 to 77, the authorities clarified, adding that the two missing are men aged 18 and 51.
The tragic events took place in the central provinces of Shiego de λαvila, Sancti Spiritus and Villa Clara, but also in the western provinces of Matanza and Pinar del Rio, which were hit by heavy rainfall during the week.
Interior Minister Julio Cesar Gadarilla said on Tuesday that "all the deaths were due to carelessness".
The subtropical storm, which formed on Friday in the Caribbean, opens the Atlantic hurricane season a week earlier. More than 40.000 people have been displaced from their homes in the provinces of Cienfuegos, Sankti Spiritus, Villa Clara and Matanzas, according to local media, which reported material damage, crop damage and thousands of households.
The oil refinery in Cienfuegos, which is crucial for Cuba's economy, was forced to close and oil spills were spilled into the Gulf. Cleaning work has begun and is expected to cost $ XNUMX million, according to a local television official.
Between August and September 2017, hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, left behind hundreds of dead and billions of dollars in damage in the Caribbean and the southeastern United States.