Highway Accident in Cuba Kills 4, Injures 16 on National Motorway

A devastating accident on Cuba’s National Highway on the night of Thursday, February 13, left four people dead and 16 injured, two of them critically. The crash occurred near the Zaza bridge in Sancti Spíritus province.

What Happened

According to the provincial newspaper Escambray, the accident involved a Diana interprovincial bus traveling from Havana to eastern Cuba. The crash occurred around 11:00 PM and immediately mobilized emergency services across the province.

The four victims, who died at the scene, were identified as:

• Edilberto Aldana García, 23, from Vertientes, Camagüey
• Conrado Peña López, 58, from Santiago de Cuba
• Niurka de la Caridad Argelí Ladisté, 56, from Santiago de Cuba
• Ualter Chávez Galán, 30, from Cauto, Granma

Critical Injuries

Two patients underwent emergency surgery at Camilo Cienfuegos Provincial General Hospital. According to Dr. Malena Morera Campos, the hospital’s emergency coordinator:

• One patient suffered a frontal bone fracture
• The second sustained a right hemothorax and hepatic laceration

A five-year-old child was among those involved but is hospitalized without serious injuries at the José Martí Pérez Provincial Pediatric Hospital. The remaining patients are reported to be in stable condition.

A Troubling Pattern

This tragedy adds to a growing list of serious road accidents in Cuba. In early January 2026, another crash in Camagüey province killed two and injured twenty. Cuba’s transport crisis, worsened by fuel shortages and deteriorating road infrastructure, raises urgent questions about highway safety.

The island’s energy crisis also affects road lighting and vehicle maintenance — factors that may contribute to rising accident rates. Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash.