An unprecedented event hit the island of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea after a large oil facility in the city of Matanzas, in the north of the island, exploded and caught fire, apparently due to an industrial accident that occurred there.
Huge forces of the Cuban army were sent to the scene of the disaster to try and extinguish the flames, after three huge oil tanks had already exploded and the fire had spread to a nearby industrial area, where many hazardous materials are located.
The local mayor reported that the firefighters are fighting the flames and so far there have been no casualties in the huge fire.
The mayor hinted that evacuating citizens from the nearby city is a possibility that is being considered at this stage.
Despite the authorities' claim, media outlets affiliated with the opposition claim that at least one person was killed in the flames and another 121 people were injured.
The claims have not yet been verified by any third party.
According to Cuban authorities, more than 100,000 liters of locally produced oil intended for export caught fire.
"The work is very difficult at the fire site due to the enormous temperatures caused by the burning oil. This is the first time we have seen an event of this scale and severity here in Cuba. We have teams from Venezuela and Mexico with us and we are making every effort to contain the flames," said Colonel Alexander Avalon, deputy commander of the local fire brigade .
Due to the damage caused to the fuel reserves in the country, the local Ministry of Energy announced the rationing of electricity and fuel supply and initiated power outages that will occur in several areas of the country in the coming days.
The Mexican Navy announced that it had sent firefighting helicopters to Cuba to deal with the disaster.
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