Article author:
Reuters
Nelson Acosta and Marc Frank
Havana — Cubans were awakened Tuesday morning by a massive power outage that destroyed 40% of the country's major fuel storage facilities. . Its history.
A Reuters eyewitness said the ferocious flames that ravaged the four-tank segment of the Matanzas supertanker port since Friday had subsided, turning a towering plume of thick black smoke still streaming from the area gray. reported that it appeared to be colored.
Matanzas is Cuba's largest import port for crude oil and fuels. Cuban heavy crude oil, fuel oil and diesel stored at Matanzas are primarily used for power generation on the island.
Communist countries under severe US sanctions are almost bankrupt. Frequent power outages and shortages of gasoline and other commodities had already created a tense situation, with scattered local protests following the historic riots of July last summer.
One fuel storage tank was struck by lightning on Friday evening. Despite the efforts of local firefighters supported by more than 100 Mexican and Venezuelan reinforcements, the fire had spread to a second by Sunday, and on Monday he was in an area where four tanks were installed. swallowed.
Authorities have not disclosed how much fuel was lost in the fires that destroyed all four tanks. Officials said no oil had contaminated nearby Matanzas Bay. Still, they warned residents as far away as Havana to wear face masks and avoid acid rain due to the large amount of smoke produced by the fire.
A second tank exploded on Saturday, killing one firefighter and leaving 14 missing, officials said Tuesday, correcting an earlier figure of 16 missing.
Mario Sabinez, governor of the state of Matanzas, about 60 miles (130 km) from Havana, spreads the flames like an "Olympic torch" from one tank to the next, and Changed to "Cauldron".
More helicopters joined firefighting efforts on Tuesday morning, along with fireboats from Mexico.
Army deputy commander Daniel Chavez, who is trying to extinguish the flames, told local media: It is not as strong as it is an influencing factor. (Reporting by Marc Frank, Editing by David Gregorio)
