At least 49 people were injured in a major incident in Matanzas, a city on the western coast of Cuba, where a fuel tank explosion sent a powerful blast into the night. The fire began on a Friday evening after lightning struck the facility, igniting a fire that subsequently spread to nearby structures and tanks a short time later. By Saturday morning, authorities had not yet achieved control over the flames, and the situation remained volatile as winds shifted and fed the fire’s intensity.
Official reports describe the injuries as including several in serious condition, with at least one person listed in critical condition. Among those affected are emergency responders who were working to contain the blaze, along with a number of journalists covering the events and the surrounding response efforts. The surge of responders highlights the scale of the emergency and the risks faced by personnel on the ground.
The crude oil storage facility involved has a capacity of about 50,000 cubic meters and is part of a broader complex located at a base known for housing large storage operations. The site sits near an important industrial area of Matanzas, in proximity to a major thermoelectric power plant. The location and the scale of storage contribute to the level of concern for nearby residents and the surrounding infrastructure.
The broader situation has drawn the attention of national leaders. A president and a prime minister traveled to the area at dawn to monitor the incident and to check on those who were injured. They visited a nearby state hospital to assess medical needs and ensure that care was being provided to the affected families. Meanwhile, authorities began evacuations for residents living closest to the industrial zone as a precaution against the risk of further flames spreading, especially given the plume that developed over the city and environment.
Observers reported a thick plume of dark smoke that rose from the scene and drifted across the area. The visibility of the smoke underscored the severity of the fire for residents across Matanzas and even into the capital region, a distance of roughly a hundred kilometers away. The fire reportedly began around 7:00 pm local time on Friday when an electrical discharge affected one of the eight tanks at the site, triggering a cluster of fires that rapidly spread to nearby compartments.
Initial official briefings indicated that a fire had started and then affected a warehouse connected to the storage tanks. The early description suggested the flames were under control at first, but shifting winds and the scale of the blaze soon renewed the concern that additional tanks could ignite, leading to further explosions and increased danger for emergency crews and nearby communities.
As the situation evolved through the night into Saturday morning, authorities faced ongoing challenges in extinguishing the fires. The combination of weather conditions, the configuration of the storage facility, and the presence of volatile materials contributed to repeated flare-ups and made containment more difficult. The response involved coordinated efforts to suppress the flames while safeguarding critical infrastructure and protecting nearby neighborhoods from potential spread of the fire and smoke.
In the days following the incident, officials and local agencies continued to assess the impact on residents, healthcare facilities, and essential services in Matanzas. The event highlighted the vulnerability of large-scale energy storage sites to extreme weather and the importance of rapid evacuation protocols, robust emergency response plans, and clear communication with the public during a crisis of this scale. Authorities pledged to review the circumstances surrounding the ignition and subsequent progression of the fire to inform safety measures and prevent recurrence in the future.