Saturday, January 12, 2019
A bus operated by Viazul, which is run by the Cuban military’s tourist section, crashed on Thursday between Baracoa and Guantanamo. It was carrying a mix of locals and foreigners from Baracoa to Havana. The crash reportedly killed seven.
The bus overturned in wet conditions; the bus driver told reporters he lost control, with some local press claiming he was attempting to pass another vehicle. The front-left section of the vehicle was heavily damaged in the rollover. At least one seat was pictured lying beside the wreck. According to reports, of the 40 passengers, 22 were Cuban.
Foreign nationals were from France, Mexico, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Four of the deceased were from overseas; they were two Argentinians, one from France, and a fourth from Germany.
The crash took place on a bendy road at around 15:00 local time. Cuban roads suffer a large number of accidents; 2018 saw 11,187 recorded accidents leading to 750 deaths and 7,999 injuries. Sky News said Thursday’s accident was the fourth major bus crash in a month. In addition to the deaths, 33 were reported hopitalised with five seriously injured.