7 lacking, 121 harm, 1 useless in fireplace at Cuban oil facility

A fireplace set off by a lightning strike at an oil storage facility raged uncontrolled within the Cuban metropolis of Matanzas, the place 4 explosions and flames injured 121 individuals and left 17 firefighters lacking. Cuban authorities mentioned a unidentified physique had been discovered late Saturday.

Firefighters and different specialists had been nonetheless attempting to quell the blaze on the Matanzas Supertanker Base, the place the hearth started throughout a thunderstorm Friday evening, the Ministry of Energy and Mines tweeted. Authorities mentioned about 800 individuals had been evacuated from the Dubrocq neighborhood closest to the hearth,

Members of the Cuban Red Cross standby as an enormous plume of smoke rises from the Matanzas Supertanker Base, as firefighters work to quell a blaze which started throughout a thunderstorm the evening earlier than, in Matazanas, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

The authorities mentioned it had requested for assist from worldwide consultants in “friendly countries” with expertise within the oil sector.

Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío mentioned the US authorities had provided technical assist to quell the blaze. On his Twitter account, he mentioned the “proposal is in the hands 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. A help flight from Mexico arrived Saturday evening.

The official Cuban News Agency mentioned lightning hit one tank, beginning a fireplace, and the blaze later unfold to a second tank. As navy helicopters flew overhead dropping water on the blaze, dense column of black smoke billowed from the power and unfold westward greater than 100 kilometers (62 miles) towards Havana.

A helicopter dumps water over the Matanzas Supertanker Base, as firefighters attempt to quell a blaze which started throughout a thunderstorm the evening earlier than, in Matazanas, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

Roberto de la Torre, head of fireplace operations in Matanzas, mentioned firefighters had been spraying water on intact tanks attempting to maintain them cool in hopes of stopping the hearth from spreading.

Cuba’s Health Ministry reported that 121 individuals had been injured with 5 of them in crucial situation. The Presidency of the Republic mentioned the 17 individuals lacking had been “firefighters who were in the nearest area trying to prevent the spread.”

Later Saturday, the Health Ministry mentioned in a press release {that a} physique had been discovered and officers had been attempting to establish it.

The accident comes as Cuba struggles with gasoline 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 gasoline electrical energy producing vegetation.

An enormous plume of smoke rises from the Matanzas Supertanker Base, as firefighters work to quell a blaze which started throughout a thunderstorm the evening earlier than, in Matazanas, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

“I was in the gym when I felt the first explosion. A column of smoke and terrible fire rose through the skies,” resident Adiel Gonzalez informed The Associated Press by cellphone. “The city has a strong smell of sulfur.”

He mentioned some individuals additionally determined to go away the Versailles district, which is just a little farther from the tank farm than Dubrocq.

Many ambulances, police and fireplace engines had been seen within the streets of Matanzas, a metropolis with about 140,000 inhabitants that’s on Matnzas Bay.

Local meteorologist Elier Pila confirmed satellite tv for pc pictures of the realm with a dense plume of black smoke transferring from the purpose of the hearth westward and reaching east to Havana.

“That plume can be close to 150 kilometers long,” Pila wrote on his Twitter account.