Story highlights At Fidel Castro's hometown, his relatives mourn

After so many rumors about his health, "this came as a surprise," his half-brother says

(CNN) In the town of Bíran, near the eastern tip of Cuba, people began knocking on Martin Castro's door early Saturday. The phone hasn't stopped ringing.

Was it true that hometown revolutionary Fidel Castro, who brought the Cold War to the Americas in 1959, was dead at the age of 90?

"People are crying," said Angel Castro, the son of Martin, who is Fidel Castro's half-brother.

"Some were complaining about their blood pressure going up. We have lost a good man."

In Bíran, a village some 12 hours from Havana and where the iconic Fidel Castro was born and Martin still resides, word of Castro's demise spread rapidly.