A second tank with fuel collapsed in Cuba after two days of fire

The fire started on Thursday by a lightning strike on fuel deposits in the Cuban city of Matanzas has caused the collapse of a second tank, whose collapse has caused a powerful explosion visible from different points on the island. , including the capital, La Habana.

El gobernador de Matanzas, Mario Sabines Lorenzo, has confirmed the collapse of the second of the three affected tanks. así como el vertido de crudo a las zonas aledañas, según la prensa oficial. En pie sigue, sin embargo, el tercero de estos almacenes, si bien la situación sigue sin estar controlada tras unas 40 horas de llamas ininterrumpidas.

The authorities of the Cuban regime maintain a provisional balance of one deceased, while another 15 people remain missing and five of the 24 hospitalized patients are in critical condition, according to the current account by the Ministry of Public Health of the dictatorship.

The residential area closest to the depots, situated in the port of superpetroleros de Matanzas, remains evacuated as a precaution and the radio cannot be extended if the situation worsens. El régimen sí ha descartado peligro para la ciudad en su conjunto.

An enormous column of fire of several dozens of meters rose suddenly from the sinister area minutes before midnight. (4.00 GMT), como transmitió la televisión cubana.

According to official media reports, the efforts of the emergency teams – Cuban and international – to contain the flames in the two first deposits affected have not been successful. The infrastructure has a total of eight deposits of 50,000 cubic meters each.

Las llamas han alcanzado al tercer depposito, que había sido refrescado con agua de mar durante large parte este domingo, casi a la vez de que collapsase causa del incendio el segundo tanke afectado.

Poco antes los emergency equipos se habian retirado de la zona del siniestro luego de que un fuerte viento impidiese su labor y avivase las llamas.

DAMNIFICADOS

El Ministerio de Salud Pública (Minsap) de Cuba indicated in its last report The fire left one dead and 122 injuredde los que cinco permanena en estado crítico, tres están graves y 16 reciben cuidados (el resto han sido dados de alta).

Los desaparecidos are mainly bombers who were surprised by the explosion of the second deposit when they were working on the first line to put out the fire in the first. The recovery of the bodies will not begin until the flames are extinguished, explained the Cuban regime.

In addition, about 5,000 people have been evicted from homes in the repartos of Matanzas located near the industrial park.

The fire broke out at 19:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on Friday, according to the first hypothesis when a lightning strike hit the base of the fuel tanks and exceeded the capabilities of the lightning protection system.

Esa misma tarde explotó el primer deppositó, con unos 25.000 cubic meters de petróleo, y sobre las 7.00 hora local (11.00 GMT) prendió el segundo, con una candidad indeterminada de fuel.

La llamas se han llegado elevador varias dozenas de metros, tiñendo el cielo de la cercana Matanzas de rojo, y la enorme columna de fumo negro ha alcanzado La Habana, a más de kilometers de distance.

(Con información de Europa Press y EFE)

SEGUIR LEYENDO: