This week an electric shock that left one dead and six others injured in Moa, Holguín, made headlines in Cuba.
It happened around 4:00 pm on May 29, in the vicinity of a building occupied by the Nickel Union Services Company (ESUNI).
There, several workers were waiting for the departure of the transport to return to their homes when the lightning “directly affected three workers who were on the ground when rescuers came, who revived the one with the greatest obvious impact,” a note states.
After the unfortunate event, the official press in Cuba reported that electric shocks are the leading cause of death from natural phenomena on the island.
Data from a study carried out by specialists from the Institute of Meteorology, Nathalí Valderá Figueredo and Evelio García Valdés, state that electrical discharges caused an annual average of 54 fatalities between 1987 and 2017.
In general, the number of deaths that occurred in that period amounted to 1,742, “a much higher number than the deaths caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, and heavy rain events,” says an article in Granma.
ELECTRIC SHOCKS IN CUBA
According to the Department of Statistics of the Ministry of Public Health, the provinces with the highest number of deaths from these events are Granma, with 249 deaths, Holguín, 186; Camagüey, 161, and Santiago de Cuba, 147.
Regarding the month with the most loss of human lives, they indicate that it was July, with 376, while in second and third places are August, which had 363, and June, 361.
“In the event of being surprised by a thunderstorm in the middle of the street, it is best to seek refuge inside a covered building,” the text recommends.
Likewise, they remember that “you should never walk in these extremely dangerous weather conditions, let alone run with wet clothes, since turbulence is usually created in the air, which can attract lightning.”
It is also dangerous to stand under a tree, “because the electric shock tends to fall on the highest point”, and to practice sports in the open, ride a horse or talk on the phone.
