Huge fireball turns sky orange after explosion at oil storage facility in Matanzas, Cuba
A thunderstorm Friday night set off an explosion at the Matanzas Supertanker Base, according to Cuba's Ministry of Energy and Mines. The fire spread to a second tank on Saturday.(Credit: @sacapinespromax / Local News X / TMX)
A stunning video has been captured showing a massive fireball rising into the sky following an explosion at a stricken oil storage facility in Cuba.
The scenes at the Matanzas Supertanker Base come as a fire has compromised at least four tanks there as of late Monday, Lt. Col. Chief Alexander Ávalos of Cuba's fire department told Televisión Cubana.
"The fire has taken on a greater magnitude," he said.
At least one person has died and 125 are injured, with another 14 reported missing ever since lighting struck one of the facility’s eight tanks on Friday night.
CUBA OIL STORAGE FACILITY BURSTS INTO FLAMES
A fireball rises into the sky following an explosion at the Matanzas Supertanker Base in Cuba. (@sacapinespromax/Local News X/TMX)
A second tank caught fire on Saturday, triggering several explosions at the facility, which plays a key part in Cuba's electric system.
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The video shared by a resident on Sunday night shows a large fireball and smoke turning the sky in the area orange.
The explosion sent smoke billowing into the atmosphere, turning it orange. (@sacapinespromax/Local News X/TMX)
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The governments of Mexico and Venezuela have sent special teams to help extinguish the fire with water cannons, planes and helicopters, fighting the fire from several directions as military constructions specialists erected barriers to contain oil spills.
The raging fire could be seen from a distance, the video shows. (@sacapinespromax/Local News X/TMX)
Local officials warned residents to use face masks or stay indoors given the billowing smoke enveloping the region that can be seen from the capital of Havana, located more than 65 miles away. Officials have warned that the cloud contains sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other poisonous substances.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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