Cubans pay tribute today to the 13 combatants who died in a fire at a construction site storing war material in the Holguín Military Region.

A posthumous tribute ceremony to the members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces who died in the line of duty will take place this Monday in the Plaza de la Revolución Mayor General Calixto García, in the eastern province.

In tribute to the combatants, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel decreed official mourning in the Caribbean nation from 06:00 to 12:00 local time.

While the measure is in force, the national flag must be flown at half-mast in public buildings and military institutions.

According to investigations by the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Minfar), the possible cause of the incident, which occurred on 7 January, is associated with an electrical fault caused by a short circuit inside the installation.

In a statement, the organisation reported that, due to the extreme complexity of the terrain caused by the explosions, the effects of the accumulated gases and the severe damage caused, as well as the real danger of landslides due to the structural damage to the site, the site of the accident is inaccessible.

Minfar explained that after the work carried out by competent investigative bodies and the analysis of specialists, it was determined that there is no possibility of life at the site.