Voice of America
08 Aug 2022, 03:07 GMT+10
HAVANA - Cuban firefighters were joined by special teams sent by Mexico and Venezuela 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 thunderstorm, 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 whom 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 the 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 Diaz-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 Fernandez de Cossio 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 due coordination."
Minutes later, the president thanked Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile for their offers of help.
Get a daily dose of Chile Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Chile Sun.
More InformationSANTAREM, Brazil: As Brazil cements its position as the world's top soy exporter, a new wave of deforestation is spreading across the...
SAO PAULO, Brazil: Brazil is taking confident steps to restore its dominance in global poultry exports after declaring its commercial...
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Since taking office in December 2023, Argentine President Javier Milei has implemented sweeping austerity...
(250623) -- LJUBLJANA, June 23, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Hugo Calderano of Brazil hits a return during the men's singles final match against...
(250623) -- LJUBLJANA, June 23, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Lim Jonghoon (L)/Shin Yubin of South Korea celebrate scoring during the mixed doubles...
Chiang Mai [Thailand], June 23 (ANI): India's road to the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 and the FIFA Women's World Cup 2027 will officially...
SAO PAULO, Brazil: Brazil is taking confident steps to restore its dominance in global poultry exports after declaring its commercial...
International community condemns U.S. raids on Iran's nuclear sites, calling it a violation of international law and a threat to regional...
Crowds of protesters took to the streets in The Hague on the eve of the NATO summit. THE HAGUE, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of...
CAIRO, 23rd June 2025 (WAM) -- Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, has strongly condemned the terrorist...
Israel knows where Tehran has moved its enriched material, according to the prime minister ...
Israel knows where Tehran has moved its enriched material, according to the prime minister Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu...