Issued on: 08/08/2022
The fire at a Cuban fuel depot has been raging for days
YAMIL LAGE AFP
Matanzas (Cuba) (AFP) – Cuban army helicopters scrambled to contain a blaze that felled a third tank at a fuel depot on Monday after burning for days, as the search continued for 16 missing firefighters.
According an official update, the confirmed toll from the fire was one person dead, with 24 people receiving treatment in hospital -- five of them in a critical condition. Many others were treated for burn wounds.
The fire on the outskirts of Matanzas, a city of 140,000 people 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Havana, broke out late Friday after lightning struck one of eight tanks at the depot.
On Monday, the governor of the western Matanzas province said the blaze had spread to a third tank, which collapsed like two others before it.
"The third tank also collapsed, after the second spilled its fuel" as it caved in on Sunday, governor Mario Sabines told state TV.
He said the blaze area was "very big" and the containment effort "very complex."#photo1
Aircraft, firefighters and other specialists and equipment arrived in Cuba from Mexico and Venezuela on Sunday after the island nation asked for help from "friendly countries."
Sabines said the teams were preparing an operation to attack the flames with foam, "but this could take a while."
Matanzas (Cuba) (AFP) – Cuban army helicopters scrambled to contain a blaze that felled a third tank at a fuel depot on Monday after burning for days, as the search continued for 16 missing firefighters.
According an official update, the confirmed toll from the fire was one person dead, with 24 people receiving treatment in hospital -- five of them in a critical condition. Many others were treated for burn wounds.
The fire on the outskirts of Matanzas, a city of 140,000 people 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Havana, broke out late Friday after lightning struck one of eight tanks at the depot.
On Monday, the governor of the western Matanzas province said the blaze had spread to a third tank, which collapsed like two others before it.
"The third tank also collapsed, after the second spilled its fuel" as it caved in on Sunday, governor Mario Sabines told state TV.
He said the blaze area was "very big" and the containment effort "very complex."#photo1
Aircraft, firefighters and other specialists and equipment arrived in Cuba from Mexico and Venezuela on Sunday after the island nation asked for help from "friendly countries."
Sabines said the teams were preparing an operation to attack the flames with foam, "but this could take a while."
Efforts 'intensifying'
Some 1,900 people had been evacuated from around the disaster site, officials have said.
"Work is intensifying to combat the fire," the Cuban presidency said on Twitter Monday, adding this was a "decisive day" for the effort.
After the first tank caught fire late Friday, the blaze spread to a second tank by the early hours of Saturday.
The first two tanks collapsed overnight Sunday, causing three more reported injuries and spilling their oil.
According to the Cupet state oil company, the first tank had contained about 26,000 cubic meters of crude, about half its capacity.
The second contained 52,000 cubic meters of fuel oil. It was not immediately clear how full the third tank was.#photo2
Firefighters had been battling to prevent the third tank from catching fire, dousing it with water to keep it cool, but ultimately to no avail.
The depot supplies the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant, the largest in the communist nation.
The disaster comes at a time the island -- with an outdated energy network and persistent fuel shortages -- has faced mounting difficulties in meeting energy demands.
Since May, authorities have imposed energy blackouts of up to 12 hours a day in some regions -- sparking protests around the Portugal-sized nation of 11 million people.
© 2022 AFP
More than 100 injured, one dead, 17 missing after fire at Cuban oil facility
Officials in Cuba on Sunday said that 122 people were injured, at least one person had died and 17 people were missing after a fire at a crude oil storage facility. Photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA-EFE
Aug. 7 (UPI) -- More than 100 people have been injured and one has died after a fire sparked by a lightning strike at a crude oil storage facility in Cuba, officials said Sunday.
At least 122 people were injured in the blaze, with 24 still hospitalized, including five in critical condition, Cuban state-run media outlet La Prensa reported. The Ministry of the Interior later recovered a body at the scene.
In addition to the injuries and deaths, 17 people remained missing Sunday.
The fire began Friday night after lightning struck the Matanzas Super Tanker Base, about 60 miles east of Havana.
Two storage units, one containing about 918,000 cubic feet of petroleum and the other carrying about 1.8 million cubic feet of fuel oil, were impacted by the blaze.
Officials said the fire did not pose an immediate threat to the nearby Antonio Guterres power plant, one of the largest in the island nation.
Specialized fire crews from Mexico and Venezuela were on the scene trying to combat the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other tanks and installations.
"This morning was, once again, difficult," the Cuban presidency said. "Firefighters continue fighting the intense fire as help comes from friendly countries. Today will be a pivotal day in our fight for life."
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canal Bermudez expressed "deep gratitude" to Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile for offering aid.
Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, vice minister of foreign affairs, also said that the Cuban government had accepted "technical guidance" offered by the United States to combat the fire.
"We deeply appreciate the condolences and expressions of help from people and organizations in the U.S. regarding the #Matanzas incident, including from the U.S. government, which offered technical advice, a proposal is already in the hands of specialists for proper coordination," he wrote on Twitter.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told the Miami Herald that the Biden administration was "closely tracking the situation, including any humanitarian needs that may emerge."
"The U.S. embargo authorizes U.S. persons to provide disaster relief and response in Cuba," the spokesperson said.
By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
Officials in Cuba on Sunday said that 122 people were injured, at least one person had died and 17 people were missing after a fire at a crude oil storage facility. Photo by Ernesto Mastrascusa/EPA-EFE
Aug. 7 (UPI) -- More than 100 people have been injured and one has died after a fire sparked by a lightning strike at a crude oil storage facility in Cuba, officials said Sunday.
At least 122 people were injured in the blaze, with 24 still hospitalized, including five in critical condition, Cuban state-run media outlet La Prensa reported. The Ministry of the Interior later recovered a body at the scene.
In addition to the injuries and deaths, 17 people remained missing Sunday.
The fire began Friday night after lightning struck the Matanzas Super Tanker Base, about 60 miles east of Havana.
Two storage units, one containing about 918,000 cubic feet of petroleum and the other carrying about 1.8 million cubic feet of fuel oil, were impacted by the blaze.
Officials said the fire did not pose an immediate threat to the nearby Antonio Guterres power plant, one of the largest in the island nation.
Specialized fire crews from Mexico and Venezuela were on the scene trying to combat the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other tanks and installations.
"This morning was, once again, difficult," the Cuban presidency said. "Firefighters continue fighting the intense fire as help comes from friendly countries. Today will be a pivotal day in our fight for life."
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canal Bermudez expressed "deep gratitude" to Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile for offering aid.
Carlos Fernandez de Cossio, vice minister of foreign affairs, also said that the Cuban government had accepted "technical guidance" offered by the United States to combat the fire.
"We deeply appreciate the condolences and expressions of help from people and organizations in the U.S. regarding the #Matanzas incident, including from the U.S. government, which offered technical advice, a proposal is already in the hands of specialists for proper coordination," he wrote on Twitter.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told the Miami Herald that the Biden administration was "closely tracking the situation, including any humanitarian needs that may emerge."
"The U.S. embargo authorizes U.S. persons to provide disaster relief and response in Cuba," the spokesperson said.
Firefighters battle big blaze at Cuba tank farm for 2nd day
By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
August 7, 2022
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1 of 12
People watch a huge plume of smoke rise from the Matanzas supertanker base, as firefighters work to douse a fire that started during a thunderstorm the night before, in Matanzas, Cuba, Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022. Cuban authorities say lightning struck a crude oil storage tank at the base, sparking a fire that sparked four explosions that injured more than 121 people, one person dead and 17 missing.
(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban firefighters were joined by special teams sent by Mexico and Venezuela on Sunday as they battled for a second day to control a fire blazing at a big oil tank farm in the western province of Matanzas.
The blaze began Friday night when lightning struck a storage tank during a thunder storm, and the fire spread to a second tank early Saturday, triggering a series of explosions, officials have said.
“The mission of the day is to keep the third tank cold,” in hopes of preventing the flames from spreading into more of the site, provincial Gov. Mario Sabines said.
Most of the fuel held in the tank where the fire initially started was believed to have been consumed, officials said.
Authorities said a body found at the site Saturday had been identified as firefighter Juan Carlos Santana, 60. Officials previously said a group of 17 firefighters had gone missing while trying to quell flames, but there was no word if he was one of those.
Conditions were still too dangerous to mount a search for the missing firefighters, officials said.
A total of 122 people were treated for injuries, including five that officials said were in critical condition.
The governor said 4,946 people had been evacuated, mostly from the Dubrocq neighborhood, which is next to the Matanzas Supertanker Base in Matanzas city. The facility’s eight huge storage tanks hold oil used to fuel electricity generation.
Dense black smoke billowed up from the tank farm and spread westward more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) to Havana. The Ministry of Science and Technology said Sunday that the cloud contained sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other toxic substances.
The disaster comes as Cuba struggles with a severe economic and energy crisis, with frequent power blackouts hitting during a torrid summer. It was unknown how much fuel had been lost to the flames.
Cuba’s government had appealed for help Saturday from oil nations, and specialized firefighting teams began arriving with their equipment from Mexico and Venezuela late Saturday. They brought helicopters and specialized chemicals for fighting oil fire.
“The support (is) in the prevention of risks and also help to quell the fire by means of cooling based on water and foam,” Mexican Brig. Gen. Juan Bravo said upon arrival. “We hope that more support will arrive soon, such as chemical material.”
President Miguel Díaz-Canel met with the heads of the teams from Mexico and Venezuela to coordinate efforts for controlling the blaze. He later told Cuban media he appreciated the help, since Cuba doesn’t have experience or resources for dealing with fires of such magnitude.
Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío said Saturday evening that the U.S. government had offered technical help. On his Twitter account, he said the “proposal is in the hands of specialists for the due coordination.”
Minutes later, the president thanked Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile for their offers of help.
___
Andrea Rodríguez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP
HAVANA (AP) — Cuban firefighters were joined by special teams sent by Mexico and Venezuela on Sunday as they battled for a second day to control a fire blazing at a big oil tank farm in the western province of Matanzas.
The blaze began Friday night when lightning struck a storage tank during a thunder storm, and the fire spread to a second tank early Saturday, triggering a series of explosions, officials have said.
“The mission of the day is to keep the third tank cold,” in hopes of preventing the flames from spreading into more of the site, provincial Gov. Mario Sabines said.
Most of the fuel held in the tank where the fire initially started was believed to have been consumed, officials said.
Authorities said a body found at the site Saturday had been identified as firefighter Juan Carlos Santana, 60. Officials previously said a group of 17 firefighters had gone missing while trying to quell flames, but there was no word if he was one of those.
Conditions were still too dangerous to mount a search for the missing firefighters, officials said.
A total of 122 people were treated for injuries, including five that officials said were in critical condition.
The governor said 4,946 people had been evacuated, mostly from the Dubrocq neighborhood, which is next to the Matanzas Supertanker Base in Matanzas city. The facility’s eight huge storage tanks hold oil used to fuel electricity generation.
Dense black smoke billowed up from the tank farm and spread westward more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) to Havana. The Ministry of Science and Technology said Sunday that the cloud contained sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other toxic substances.
The disaster comes as Cuba struggles with a severe economic and energy crisis, with frequent power blackouts hitting during a torrid summer. It was unknown how much fuel had been lost to the flames.
Cuba’s government had appealed for help Saturday from oil nations, and specialized firefighting teams began arriving with their equipment from Mexico and Venezuela late Saturday. They brought helicopters and specialized chemicals for fighting oil fire.
“The support (is) in the prevention of risks and also help to quell the fire by means of cooling based on water and foam,” Mexican Brig. Gen. Juan Bravo said upon arrival. “We hope that more support will arrive soon, such as chemical material.”
President Miguel Díaz-Canel met with the heads of the teams from Mexico and Venezuela to coordinate efforts for controlling the blaze. He later told Cuban media he appreciated the help, since Cuba doesn’t have experience or resources for dealing with fires of such magnitude.
Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío said Saturday evening that the U.S. government had offered technical help. On his Twitter account, he said the “proposal is in the hands of specialists for the due coordination.”
Minutes later, the president thanked Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile for their offers of help.
___
Andrea Rodríguez on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP
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