Cuban officers say lightning set one oil storage tank on hearth and the blaze unfold to a second tank throughout a thunderstorm Friday night time.
HAVANA, Cuba — A fireplace set off by a lightning strike at an oil storage facility raged uncontrolled Saturday within the metropolis of Matanzas, the place 4 explosions and flames injured 121 folks and left 17 firefighters lacking, Cuban authorities stated.
Firefighters and different specialists have been nonetheless making an attempt to quell the blaze on the Matanzas Supertanker Base, the place the fireplace started throughout a thunderstorm Friday night time, the Ministry of Power and Mines tweeted. Authorities stated about 800 folks have been evacuated from the Dubrocq neighborhood closest to the fireplace.
The federal government stated it had requested for assist from worldwide consultants in “pleasant international locations” with expertise within the oil sector.
Deputy International Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío stated the U.S. authorities had supplied technical assist to quell the blaze. On his Twitter account, he stated the “proposal is within the fingers of specialists for the due coordination.”
Minutes later, President Miguel Díaz-Canel thanked Mexico , Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile for his or her provides of assist. The primary help flights from Mexico and Venezuela have been anticipated to reach at Matanzas’ airport Saturday night time.
The official Cuban Information Company stated lightning hit one tank, beginning a fireplace, and the blaze later unfold to a second tank. As army helicopters flew overhead dropping water on the blaze, dense column of black smoke billowed from the ability and unfold westward greater than 100 kilometers (62 miles) towards Havana.
Roberto de la Torre, head of fireplace operations in Matanzas, stated firefighters have been spraying water on intact tanks making an attempt to maintain them cool in hopes of stopping the fireplace from spreading.
Cuba’s well being minister reported late Saturday that 121 folks have been injured with 5 of them in important situation. There have been no deaths. The Presidency of the Republic stated the 17 folks lacking have been “firefighters who have been within the nearest space making an attempt to stop the unfold.”
The accident comes as Cuba struggles with gas shortages. There was no quick phrase on how a lot oil had burned or was at risk on the storage facility, which has eight large tanks that maintain oil used to gas electrical energy producing vegetation.
“I used to be within the fitness center after I felt the primary explosion. A column of smoke and horrible hearth rose by means of the skies,” resident Adiel Gonzalez informed The Related Press by telephone. “The town has a powerful scent of sulfur.”
He stated some folks additionally determined to go away the Versailles district, which is a bit of farther from the tank farm than Dubrocq.
Many ambulances, police and hearth engines have been seen within the streets of Matanzas, a metropolis with about 140,000 inhabitants that’s on Matnzas Bay.
Native meteorologist Elier Pila confirmed satellite tv for pc pictures of the realm with a dense plume of black smoke shifting from the purpose of the fireplace westward and reaching east to Havana.
“That plume might be near 150 kilometers lengthy,” Pila wrote on his Twitter account.
