Cuba on Saturday asked for help "
from friendly countries
" to deal with the gigantic fire at an oil depot struck by lightning, in which 77 people were injured, three of whom are in critical condition, and 17 firefighters are missing. .
Some 800 people were evacuated from the disaster area located on the outskirts of Mantanzas, a town of 140,000 inhabitants 100 kilometers east of Havana, from where the huge plume of black smoke obscuring the sky was visible.
"
Cuba has requested the help and advice of friendly countries with experience in the oil sector
," the presidency said in a statement.
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Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said that "
Cuba's foreign policy is activated to receive help from friendly countries
."
The U.S. Embassy in Havana said it was "
in touch
" with Cuban officials and clarified that "
U.S. law allows U.S. entities and organizations to provide disaster relief and response in Cuba
."
The United States imposes a sanctions regime on the single ruling party on the communist island.
17 firefighters missing
On Twitter, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that controlling the fire “
could take time
”.
Three injured are in critical condition, three in very serious condition and 12 people are seriously injured, according to the official Granma newspaper.
The 17 missing are “
firefighters who were in the area closest to the fire
” when an explosion took place.
Helicopters were hard at work battling the blaze on Saturday, with water hoses brought in using cranes.
The fire broke out late Friday night when lightning struck one of the tanks at the oil depot.
In the early morning, the fire then spread to a second tank.
According to Granma, “
there was a failure in the lightning rod system which could not withstand the power of the electric discharge
”.
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The deposit supplies the Antonio Guiteras power plant, the largest in Cuba, but pumping to the plant has not stopped, Granma said.
This fire comes as the island has been facing supply difficulties since May to meet the increased demand for electricity due to the summer heat.
The authorities must carry out rotating cuts of up to 12 hours a day in certain regions of the country, triggering the anger of exasperated residents who have organized around twenty demonstrations.
The obsolescence of the island's eight thermoelectric power stations, maintenance work and the lack of fuel are hampering electricity production.
Cuba currently has an average electricity distribution capacity of 2,500 megawatts, which is insufficient for peak-hour household demand, which reaches 2,900 megawatts, according to the authorities.
