Cuban authorities assess damages caused by earthquakes in eastern region

 BAYAMO, Cuba, Nov 11 (ACN) During last night and until the early hours of this morning, a working commission sent by the highest leadership of the country exchanged with authorities and residents, and verified part of the damage caused by the strong earthquakes of Sunday in several municipalities of the province of Granma.

Eduardo Martinez Diaz, deputy prime minister; Jorge Luis Broche Lorenzo, Member of the Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC); and Major General Ramon Pardo Guerra, Chief of the National General Staff of the Civil Defense, headed the delegation that went to Campechuela, Media Luna and Pilon.

In this last locality, the closest to the epicenter, they were interested in the conditions of the field hospital created in areas of the health institution Felix Lugones Ramirez, severely affected by the telluric movements, as reported by journalist Jorge Luis Rios, of the provincial telecenter Crisol de la Nacionalidad Cubana.
Accompanied by the main leaders of the PCC and the Government in the territory, they learned that the aforementioned health center has the necessary medicines and medical, technical and nursing personnel for the comprehensive care of patients.

They also received information about the community work of groups of health workers who go around the neighborhoods to check the state of the population, and exchanged with neighbors of the area known as "the buildings", which, at that time, remained in open places as a preventive measure in case of possible aftershocks.

According to the report, from dawn on Monday, specialists in various fields will begin a more detailed evaluation of the damage.

Preliminary data show severe damage to the housing fund and state infrastructure in several sectors, including Education, Public Health, Television and Heritage; while there are also reports of landslides in mountainous areas.

Meanwhile, in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba, cracking of walls is reported as the main damage to infrastructures and damage assessment continues.

According to Gilberto Romero, coordinator of Government Programs and Objectives in the province, the commissions are registering most of the problems in facades and interiors of houses; however, communication is being maintained with districts outside the Hero City.

So far, the territory reports no major damage, however, prevention and vigilance of the population is essential, as the aftershocks could continue during the next hours.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Gustavo Alvarez, head of the provincial Civil Defense Body, in a tour of the city they observed the people's discipline and serenity, a sign of the preparation received at all levels.

Since 10:50 am in the southeastern region, around 300 aftershocks were registered, 15 of them perceptible, after a main earth movement of 6.7 degrees of magnitude, occurred in the vicinity of the municipality of Pilon, Granma.