Tropical storm hits Cuba, which has been plunged into darkness for 4 days: At least 6 dead
Struggling with power outages since October 18, Cuba is now being hit by a tropical storm, with at least 6 people losing their lives.
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In Cuba, which is under a U.S. embargo, Tropical Storm 'Oscar' is now having an impact following widespread power outages. The tropical storm, which has manifested with heavy rain and winds, has caused at least 6 deaths in the country. Millions of people have been without electricity since October 18 due to a failure at Cuba's main power plants.
SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS CONTINUE
Cuba Argenis Perales Perez, Head of Operations at the Civil Defense General Staff, reported that the storm caused fatalities in the town of San Antonio del Sur in the Guantanamo province. Stating that 6 people lost their lives due to the storm and heavy rainfall, Perez noted that search and rescue operations are ongoing.
PROTESTERS STILL ON THE STREETS
Protests erupted in the capital, Havana, following days of power outages. Life has come to a standstill due to the impact of the storm. In the city where protests continue, demonstrators claiming to be experiencing water shortages blocked at least one street with trash bags.
55-year-old Mayde Quiñones said, "Life in the country has come to a complete standstill." Juan Estrada, a 53-year-old small business owner, added, "Our refrigerator is full of food and we are worried."
ENERGY MINISTER: WE ARE WORKING NON-STOP
In a press conference, Minister of Energy and Mines Vicente de la O Levy stated that they are working non-stop to resolve the power failure and hope to see results today. Noting that Tropical Storm Oscar also damaged power plants, Levy said, "Oscar affected the production area at the plants and caused us additional trouble."