Cuba asks for help after massive fire – thousands evacuated

During a thunderstorm Friday evening local time, lightning struck an oil tank at the Matanzas Supertanker base in Cuba. On Saturday, the fire spread to another tank. The fire in the tanks caused severe explosions. The heavy black smoke plume from the fire was over 100 kilometers long.

plea for help

The Cuban authorities are now asking for help from international experts and countries with experience in the oil sector.

“We humbly thank the governments of Mexico, Venezuela, Russia and Chile, which quickly provided material assistance in this complex situation. We also appreciate the offer of technical expertise from the United States,” President Miguel Diaz-Canel wrote on Twitter.

Firefighters struggle to cool the remaining tanks to prevent the fire from spreading further. In total, there are eight huge oil tanks in the facility. The amount of oil in their possession is unknown at this time.

At least 121 people were injured

One person was found dead and 17 people are missing. According to the authorities, the missing were firefighters who were close to the fire and fought to prevent its spread.

At least 121 people were infected. Of these, 36 people are being treated in hospital, five of whom have serious injuries. Reuters news agency reported that more than 1,000 people had been evacuated from the area. The city of Matanzas has a population of 140,000 people.

Cuba suffers from a severe shortage of energy and blackouts are common on a daily basis. The loss of oil and the ability to store it is likely to exacerbate energy problems.