HAVANA: The fire at a sprawling fuel depot in northern Cuba spread to a third tank Monday as a team of international firefighters continue to battle the blaze that began three days ago.
The Cuban Presidency said a tank cracked and spilled its fuel late Sunday at the Matanzas industrial complex which caused it to spread by morning.
“The third tank has also collapsed, after the second tank spilled fuel and further complicated the situation,” the Presidency wrote on Twitter.
Two storage tanks — one containing 26,000 cubic meters of petroleum and another containing some 50,000 cubic meters of fuel oil — caught fire Friday night after lightning hit the complex.
Venezuelan, Mexican and Cuban firefighters have been trying to contain the blaze as officials say they have managed to siphon off at least 520 cubic meters of fuel oil. It was not immediately clear how much, or what type, of fuel the third tank contained.
The multiple explosions have left at least 125 injured, one dead and more than a dozen missing, according to state-run media. On Monday, the government advised residents of the area to stay indoors and wear masks as local media showed plumes of black smoke darkening the sky. –Agencies
