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A fire caused by lightning at an oil storage facility in Cuba killed one unidentified person and injured 121 others, including five in critical condition, Cuban authorities said Saturday.
The Matanzas supertanker base in the Cuban city of Matanzas suffered explosions and uncontrolled flames during a storm Friday night. Authorities said the fire left 17 firefighters missing.
About 800 people were evacuated from the neighborhood of Dubrocq closest to the fire.
Cuban officials said they had asked for help from international experts from “friendly countries” with experience in the oil sector.
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A helicopter carrying water flies over the Matanzas supertanker base as firefighters try to put out a fire that started during a storm the night before, in Matazanas, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa )
Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío said the US had offered technical assistance to put out the fire. He wrote on Twitter that the offer “is in the hands of specialists for proper coordination”.
President Miguel Díaz-Canel then thanked Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile for their offers of aid. A support flight from Mexico arrived in Cuba on Saturday evening.
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A huge plume of smoke rises from the Matanzas supertanker base as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that started during a storm the night before, in Matazanas, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
According to Cuba’s Official News Agency, lightning struck one tank, causing a fire that later spread to a second tank. Military helicopters flew overhead dropping water on the fire as a thick plume of black smoke rose from the facility and spread westward more than 62 miles toward the city of Havana.
Roberto de la Torre, head of fire operations in Matanzas, said firefighters were spraying water on intact tanks to keep them cool in an attempt to prevent the fire from spreading further.
Members of the Cuban Red Cross prepare to be transported to the Matanzas supertanker base, where firefighters work to put out a fire that started during a storm the night before, in Matazanas, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022 (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
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The fire comes amid fuel shortages in the country. It is not yet clear how much oil was burned or in danger at the storage facility, which contains eight giant tanks of oil used to power power plants.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.