Diesel shortage generates blackouts in Cuba and long lines of vehicles 2:18
(CNN) --
Lightning struck an oil storage tank Friday night in Matanzas, Cuba, sparking a massive fire.
“We are closely following the confrontation with the fire in the Industrial Zone.
We trust the authorities of the province, the brave firefighters and the CUPET workers.
”, President Miguel Díaz-Canel tweeted in reference to the state-owned Petroleum Union of Cuba.
Cuba's state media said no deaths had been reported.
The massive fire comes at a time when Cuba faces a deepening energy crisis amid fuel shortages.
Cuba faces an energy crisis aggravated by lack of fuel and excessive heat
"No human losses, injuries or fuel spill into the sea were reported after the fire," the Cuban Ministry of Energy and Mines tweeted.
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An electrical discharge at the base of the oil tank, which stores crude oil, caused the fire, according to Susely Morfa González, first secretary of the Cuban Community Party in Matanzas province.
The fire did not affect the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant, the ministry said, which contributes to the national electricity system.
Authorities from the province, the fire department, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba and the Ministry of the Interior are fighting the flames, González said.