A man rests on the trunk of a tree that was toppled by a tornado, after removing rubble from his home in Regla, Cuba, on Monday, Jan. 28, 2019. A tornado and pounding rains smashed into the eastern part of Cuba's capital overnight, toppling trees, bending power poles and flinging shards of metal roofing through the air as the storm cut a path of destruction across eastern Havana. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
February 04, 2019 - 5:48 AM
HAVANA - Cuban authorities say the death toll from a rare tornado that struck Havana last week has risen to six after two injured victims died in hospital.
State media say Health Minister Jose Angel Portal Miranda told a meeting of government officials that two of the 13 injured people died on Saturday.
The category F4 tornado was the first known to hit the Cuban capital since its founding 500 years ago. With winds up to 260 mph (420 kph), it destroyed homes in infrastructure in three Havana municipalities.
Government officials reported over the weekend that power, water and telephone service has been almost entirely restored to affected areas, although the effort to repair or replace more than 3,500 damaged homes has just begun.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019