1 killed, 122 injured in Cuba's fuel farm explosions

Xinhua
08 Aug 2022, 12:30 GMT+10

MATANZAS, Cuba, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and 122 injured in a large-scale fire following a series of explosions at a fuel storage facility in Cuba, the Ministry of Public Health said Sunday, adding that 16 others were still missing in the accident.

A tank at the fuel farm near the port of Matanzas was engulfed in a huge blaze following a lightning strike at 7:00 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Friday. The fire reached a second tank on Saturday morning and triggered a series of explosions.

Cuban firefighters were joined by Mexican and Venezuelan experts on Sunday to extinguish the blaze that was still spreading.

"Cuba lacks some resources and technologies required to control this large-scale fire," said Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel who stayed at the scene, 100 km east of Havana, the country's capital.

So far, some 5,000 residents have been evacuated from the area, according to official data.

The Caribbean nation is suffering from a lack of electricity due to fuel shortages. Its power supply could further deteriorate after the explosions.

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