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Cuba licks wounds after Gustav

2008-08-31 22:53

Havana - Hurricane Gustav left a swath of devastation across Cuba's western province of Pinar del Rio and the Isle of Youth, residents and eye-witnesses in the communist-ruled island reported on Sunday.

No deaths had been reported as of Sunday afternoon, however, a full day after the storm packing 230km/h winds crossed Cuba.

Gustav had already killed at least 86 people in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica.

"High tension towers were twisted and down, roofs blown off entire towns, schools destroyed and in Palacios even the baseball stadium's walls were gone," Reuters TV cameraman Heriberto Rodriguez said.

Residents could be seen crying over the foundations of their homes or wandering around aimlessly.

State television showed pictures of destroyed homes, submerged factories and boats lifted from their moorings and left in city streets.

The storm's 240km/h winds scattered trees and telephone poles like toothpicks.

Without power

The 800 000 residents of Pinar del Rio and the Isle of Youth remained without power on Sunday, as did many of the more than three million residents of adjoining Havana province and the capital.

Where Gustav's eye hit nothing stood. Up to 160km to the east in Matanza, wind gusts downed trees and damaged buildings, telephone and electricity lines.

The city of Havana's streets were littered with branches, shrubs, trees and light poles.

The Cuban weather service said one of its stations measured a gust of 340km/h - the highest recorded to date.

The government reported some minor injuries. But hurricane deaths are rare in Cuba, where evacuations are well-organised and begin early.

- Reuters

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