Cuba received offers of assistance from several countries after it requested assistance in dealing with a massive fire in an oil depot that was hit by a lightning strike, which led to explosions that killed at least one person, injured 121 others, and left 17 others missing.
About 1,900 people were evacuated from the disaster area in the suburb of Mantanzas, a city of 140,000 people 100 kilometres east of Havana, where a huge plume of black smoke can be seen obscuring the sky.
“A body was found at the scene of the accident,” Luis Armando Wong, director of health for Matanzas, told a news conference. Five of the wounded are in critical condition, three are in very serious condition, as well as 28 are seriously injured, according to the latest toll published by the Cuban Presidency’s account on Twitter.
Among the wounded were Energy Minister Levan Arront. As for the 17 missing persons, they were firefighters “who were in the closest area to the fire” when the explosion occurred.
The fire broke out on Friday evening when a lightning strike struck a tank in the oil depot. In the early morning, the fire spread to a second tank. It may take “time” to put out the fire, according to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, so “Cuba has asked for help and advice from friendly countries with experience in the oil sector.” The responses came quickly.
On Twitter, the Cuban president expressed his “deep gratitude to the governments of Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Nicaragua, Argentina and Chile, which immediately provided material assistance in solidarity in facing this complex situation.” “We are also grateful for the offer of technical assistance by the United States,” he added.
Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernandez de Cossio said that the US proposal “is already in the hands of specialists for a proper coordination of work.” The US embassy in Havana had earlier said that it was “in contact” with Cuban officials. She explained that despite the current sanctions regime against the ruling party, “US law allows US entities and organizations to provide relief and respond to disasters in Cuba.”
