Cuban Firefighters on Tuesday overcame the five-day-long deadly fire in the central oil depot that destroyed 40% of the island’s main fuel storage facility and caused massive blackouts, reported the officials while describing the fire as the worst one ever recorded in the country.
The fire-struck depot is located on the Matanzas which is Cuba’s largest port for receiving crude oil and fuel imports. Cuban heavy crude, as well as diesel and fuel oil stored in Matanzas in 10 huge tanks, are mainly used to generate electricity on the island.
Rolando Vecino, the head of transport for the Cuban interior ministry, said on state-run television on Tuesday afternoon that firefighters had “managed to control the fire.”
The initial fire, on Friday 5 August, was caused by a lightning strike that hit one fuel storage tank, killing one firefighter and causing injury to more than 100 other people, out of which five are still in critical condition, while at least 14 firefighters have been reported as missing. A second fire broke out on Saturday.
On Tuesday, additional helicopters joined the effort to put out the fire along with two fireboats and heavy firefighting equipment sent by Mexico.
“We have not yet been able to access the impact area due to the conditions. There is combustion and so we cannot risk our lives for now,” firefighter Rafael Perez Garriga told Reuters around noon.
Mexico and Cuba’s political ally Venezuela were among those that had sent experts and specialist equipment and chemicals to help fight the massive blaze.
Later in the day on Tuesday, firefighters for the first time were entering the area and spraying foam and water on the still blazing remains.
According to state-owned oil company Cupet, the storage tank that was first struck by lightning contained around 26,000 cubic meters of crude — while the second affected tank contained around 50,000 cubic meters of oil.
No oil had contaminated the nearby Matanzas Bay, told the authorities.