Around 7:00 p.m. this Friday, due to a storm, lightning struck crude storage tank 52 at the Matanzas Supertanker Base, causing a fire , the Ministry of Energy and Mines reported on its Twitter account.
On its Facebook page, TV Yumuri specified that no injuries or loss of human life have been reported, and that the provincial authorities are at the scene of the incident, where firefighters and workers from the Cupet territorial division are working to put out the flames. .
“Authorities, fire department, Minint and the FAR are on the spot. Confidence that the situation will be controlled, ”said the first secretary of the Party in the province, Susely Morfa González, on her Twitter account.
According to a report from the ACN, the national crude tank affected by the electrical discharge was at 50% of its filling capacity, which is 50,000 cubic meters.
The supertanker base – which has eight tanks – has a lightning rod system, but apparently the discharge was higher than what it could protect, explained Rigel Rodríguez Cubells, director of the Territorial Division of Marketing of Fuels Matanzas.
Firefighters from Mayabeque and Havana support the efforts to control the fire. A regular flow of water is guaranteed with means from the province, said the governor of Matanzas, Mario Sabines Lorenzo.
Journalist Eliane Táboas reported from the scene that the discharge caused the lid of the tank to shoot several meters away.
A column of smoke is still visible in the city of Matanzas.
Díaz-Canel: We are closely following the confrontation with the fire in the industrial zone
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez reported that the government is closely following the fight against the fire in the industrial zone of the western province and that they trust the authorities of the territory, “the brave firefighters and the workers of Cupet.”
When speaking with the first secretary of the Party in Matanzas, Susely Morfa González , the president wrote on his Twitter account and assured that “we will get ahead.”
They report that Thermoelectric “Antonio Guiteras” works in a stable way
The fire at the Matanzas Supertanker Base did not take the unit of the “Antonio Guiteras” Thermoelectric Power Plant out of service, assured the Ministry of Energy and Mines and pointed out that the thermoelectric plant is operating in a stable manner.
Specialized forces continue to work to control the fire
At 11 p.m. specialized forces continue to work to control the fire. “Confidence,” Susely Morfa González, first secretary of the Party in Matanzas, wrote on her Twitter account.
“The pipes pass, the hustle and bustle may continue all night,” local radio station Radio 26 reported.
The provincial director of Health, Luis Armando Wong Corrales, reported that there are five ambulances available, and that hospitals have been arranged in case the smoke affects the population.
Cuban President arrives at the area of the fire in Matanzas
After 12 o’clock at night, the Cuban president arrived at the area of the fire. Also present are the Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, and the member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of Organization and Policy of the Central Committee of the Party, Roberto Morales Ojeda.
The population near the area of the fire has been evacuated, provincial authorities explained to Díaz-Canel.
According to the Presidency, the president congratulated and thanked the Matanzas press for the good work they are doing. “We must keep our population informed in real time,” said the head of state.
“These are very hard hours; but we have the firm conviction that we will win,” Morfa González wrote on Twitter.
It transpired that the structure of the tank collapsed but no oil spill was reported. Firefighters have created a foam mattress and are throwing water on the other tanks that are 50 meters away to prevent the spread of the flames, according to TV Yumuri.
The volatility of the chemical components in the crude delay the containment of the fire.
Prime Minister arrives in Matanzas. Photo: Twitter/ Yumuri TV.
They review images captured by a drone that flew over the fire area
In the Territorial Division of Marketing of Fuels Matanzas, the images captured by a drone that flew over the area of the fire, which began around seven at night, were reviewed.
Díaz-Canel in the Territorial Division of Marketing of Fuels Matanzas. Photo: Twitter/ @PresidenciaCuba.
Díaz-Canel: It will be very long and distressing this morning
This morning will be very long and distressing, as was the night, said Díaz-Canel, noting that there is no history of a fire of such magnitude at the Supertanker Base.
“Today the people of Matanzas with their paintings in front, admire for their courage and serenity. We are honored to accompany you”, he underlined in a tweet.
TV Yumuri reported that the air and poor lighting affect the work being done to put out the fire. According to calculations by specialists, in the morning hours they wait for the control of the accident if conditions allow it.
After 2 in the morning, more specialized bodies from Havana arrived at the industrial area of the city of Matanzas.
Forces from different agencies are working to extinguish the fire and prevent its spread to surrounding areas. Photo: Twitter/ @elierpf.
A lightning bolt struck the crude oil storage tank 52 of the Matanzas Supertanker Base, causing a fire. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
No fatalities are reported, TY Yumuri reported. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
The authorities of the province are at the scene of the incident, where Cupet firefighters and workers are working to put out the flames. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
A lightning bolt struck the crude oil storage tank 52 of the Matanzas Supertanker Base, causing a fire. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
Forces from different agencies are working to extinguish the fire and prevent its spread to surrounding areas. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
Forces from different agencies are working to extinguish the fire and prevent its spread to surrounding areas. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
The forces are trying to put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to other tanks and locations. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
A column of smoke is still visible in the city of Matanzas. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
The forces are trying to put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to other tanks and locations. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
A column of smoke is still visible in the city of Matanzas. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
There is no history of a fire of such magnitude at the Supertanker Base, Díaz-Canel said. Photo: Facebook/ Yumuri TV.
The priority is to prevent the fire from spreading to the other fuel tanks, they explain to the Cuban president. Photo: Twitter/ @PresidenciaCuba.
On video, fire in industrial zone of Matanzas
source: Cubadebate
