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(CNN) --
A Cuban government forensic scientist said Wednesday that investigators had been unable to identify the remains of 14 missing firefighters believed to have died in an oil storage tank fire on August 9.
The massive fire at the island's largest oil storage facility in Matanzas, Cuba, was sparked by lightning, officials said.
The worst fire in Cuba's history is under control after burning for 5 days in an oil depot, authorities say
Authorities had previously said they had identified the body of a firefighter, but at a news conference on Wednesday, Dr. Jorge González Pérez said the other remains that were recovered were too burned to be identified.
Cuban state media said the government would prepare funerals to honor fallen firefighters.
For its part, through its Twitter account, the Cuban presidency decreed official mourning "as a tribute to those who fell in the line of duty during the fire at the Matanzas supertanker base."
As a tribute to those who fell in the line of duty during the fire at the Matanzas supertanker base, the President of the Republic of #Cuba decreed Official Duel, from 6:00 a.m. on August 18 until 12:00 p.m. August 19.
🖤#CubaHonor
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– Cuba Presidency 🇨🇺 (@PresidenciaCuba) August 18, 2022
Lightning struck a fuel storage tank on August 5.
The fire spread to a second on Sunday and engulfed the area of four tanks by Monday, accompanied by huge explosions despite the efforts of local firefighters supported by more than 100 Mexican and Venezuelan reinforcements.
On August 9, firefighters finally defeated what authorities described as the worst fire in Cuba's history, which over five days destroyed 40% of the Caribbean island's main fuel storage facility.
Matanzas is the most important port in Cuba to receive imports of crude oil and fuels.
Cuban heavy crude, as well as fuel and diesel stored in Matanzas in 10 huge tanks, are used primarily to generate electricity on the island.
With information from Reuters.
