Protests erupt in Havana as Cuba struggles to restore electricity

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By Dave Sherwood and Ayose Naranjo Reuters Scattered protests broke out across Havana on Tuesday evening, with residents banging pots, honking horns and shouting “turn on the lights” as millions ‌of Cubans remained without power amid a six-month-long U.S. fuel blockade. Cuba experienced a nationwide outage on ‌Monday — its third this year — but while authorities said most of the country had been reconnected to the island’s grid by late ​Tuesday, many remained in the dark and without electricity as the island doesn’t have enough fuel. The country’s grid operator UNE said it had reconnected the grid from Pinar del Rio, in far western Cuba, to Holguin in the east. Santiago de Cuba, the island’s second-largest city, remained disconnected and without power, authorities said. The U.S. in January ‌cut off Cuba’s fuel supply, then ⁠imposed fresh sanctions that have prompted an exodus of foreign businesses and a near-complete collapse o...
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2 people hospitalized after house fire in south St. Louis

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ST. LOUIS - Two people were injured in a house fire Sunday morning in south St. Louis. One victim remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

Around 7:30 a.m., the St. Louis Fire Department received a call for a large fire in south St. Louis. Upon arrival, the two-story family home off Louisiana Avenue could be seen burning up with heavy smoke.

“It was probably two rooms fully-involved with fire coming out three windows of the home,” said St. Louis Fire Battalion Chief, Mike Fitzgerald. “There was heavy smoke in the residence.”

Fitzgerald shared that preliminary information indicated that the fire took over a bedroom, and then it spread to the rest of the floor.

Firefighters quickly put it out, but not before saving two people, with one person trapped at the time.

“He was down in the back of the building, they had to physically carry him out,” Fitzgerald explained.

Firefighters said the man believed to be in his 70s was taken to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The other occupant, a woman whose age is unknown, was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

“I can’t imagine running into a burning building, putting my life on the line for someone you don’t know, they’re so brave - they’re really incredible," neighbor Mara Hofherr expressed. "I feel really lucky and so safe that they were able to be here.”

“It makes you feel good that the fire department is right there, they get here pretty quick all the time, so hopefully he recovers real quick," local Matthew Carlson shared.

The home is now condemned. The first floor has since been completely gutted.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown, and no further damage has been revealed. FOX 2 will update this story with more information as it becomes available.



from FOX 2 https://ift.tt/ceShkHW

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