Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel announced on Thursday the passing of Halil Karadeniz, an employee of the Turkish company Karen, who sustained injuries in a fire last week on a power generation barge docked in Havana Bay. "We have just received confirmation that Halil Karadeniz, a worker from the Turkish company Karen, has died following the barge accident in Havana. Our condolences go out to his family, colleagues, and the government of Turkey," the leader expressed on his X account.
Details of the Tragic Incident
On September 26, a total of eight individuals were injured during the fire, which broke out amid welding activities on the Turkish barge in Havana's bay. The Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, stated on the social platform X that the blaze was swiftly brought under control and that the injured workers were receiving medical care.
Current Status of the Injured
Subsequent reports indicated that five Turkish nationals and one Cuban remained hospitalized with varying prognoses at the "Hermanos Ameijeiras" Surgical Clinic and "General Calixto García" University Hospital.
Three of the injured are being treated at the Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital. Dr. Trujillo Sánchez reported that they suffered severe burns: "We are dealing with three patients having approximately 40%, 30%, and 20% burns, respectively," he explained. According to the medical report, two were in critical extreme condition, while the third was categorized as very serious.
The extent of the burns, in some instances, reached up to 20% hypodermic depth, further complicating their recovery process.