Firefighters fought the flames for five days. The large fire at a Cuban fuel depot in the west of the country is now under control. A firefighter was also killed in the extinguishing work, 14 others are still missing.
“You can say the fire is under control,” deputy chief of the Cuban fire service, Alexander Ávalos Jorge, told reporters. He expressly thanked Mexico and Venezuela for their help with the extinguishing work. A firefighter was killed, 14 emergency services were still missing on Wednesday. At the same time, Ávalos made it clear that it would take a few more days to completely extinguish the flames. These were fueled time and again by the oil stored in several tanks that had caught fire.
Destroyed the country’s energy reserves
What is arguably the largest fire in Cuban history was caused by a lightning strike on a fuel tank on Friday. In addition to the fatalities, 120 others were injured. High flames continued to blaze from the complex on Wednesday, thick smoke enveloped the region. The tanks contain Cuban crude oil and imported heavy fuel oil, which is mainly used to generate electricity. The fire has consumed important energy reserves of the socialist state, which is already suffering from a severe economic crisis and major energy supply problems.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
