Fire at Matanzas Cuban oil storage facility 💥

[NSXCIGAR]

This isn't what they needed:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/17-missing-dozens-injured-in-explosive-fire-at-cuban-oil-storage-facility-hit-by-lightning

[treberty]

Seems like the Cuban people just seem to catch a break. 😢

[helix]

Real kick in the ass. Country of crumbling infratructure and equipment reaching an untenable state of affairs . Unlikely able to respond effectivly to a situation as this or recover from it without outside help. 

[Niko8]

A lightning strike started a significant fire at an oil tank in Matanzas, Cuba, on Friday, August 5, according to officials.

Matanzas government officials reported that 77 people were injured from the fire and those in serious or critical condition were receiving medical treatment. The President’s Office reported that 17 firefighters who “were in the closest area trying to prevent the spread” of the fire were not accounted for as of Saturday.

The fire threatened power supply for the island, which was already experiencing an energy crisis which spurred government scheduled power outages that began the previous week, reports said.

…“It’s the hub of the wheel of Cuba’s infrastructure.”

 

 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/cuban-oil-storage-terminal-rocked-by-explosions-injuring-dozens-11659831314?st=nxytwcgvi8hq72f&reflink=article_copyURL_share

[MossybackR]

Just one more sad event for the burdened populace of Cuba. My heart goes out to them.

[helix]

Sixty years + Cuba is nothing but a police state that brutally represses any form of dissidence, and its reforms have yielded nothing but failure and misery. There is no better example of communism’s evil and it is communist in Cuba as most property and economic resources are owned and controlled by the state , not socialist where all citizens share equally in economic resources as allocated by a sort of democratically-elected government , although through an authoritarian state, which denies basic liberties .

[99call]

22 minutes ago, helix said:

Sixty years + Cuba is nothing but a police state that brutally represses any form of dissidence, and its reforms have yielded nothing but failure and misery. There is no better example of communism’s evil and it is communist in Cuba as most property and economic resources are owned and controlled by the state , not socialist where all citizens share equally in economic resources as allocated by a sort of democratically-elected government , although through an authoritarian state, which denies basic liberties .

I wouldn't describe what's going on there as communisim or socialism.   Like Venezuela, or Russia, It looks like more like a Dictatorship or Kleptocracy.   A small group powerful rich people, stealing, mismanaging or squandering the national wealth, while their people endure horrible suffering. 

The fact that they have reached out to the states, is hopefully a good sign that there is finally a recognisation that everything has fallen to shit.  

I hope this instance may open up more avenues of relief for the people of Cuba, and maybe a final realisation that change must come (in whichever form) it seems anything is better than this 

 

[Corylax18]

34 minutes ago, 99call said:

The fact that they have reached out to the states, is hopefully a good sign that there is finally a recognisation that everything has fallen to shit.  

They didn't. We reached out to them and they pretty much ignored it. We could have been dropping foam on this fire with aircraft from NAS Key West within hours of it starting. Instead, they thanked us for the "technical assistance" as the fire spread and more tanks exploded. 

Mexico and Venezuela have both sent planes with Oil Firefighting specialist from their state owned oil companies. They have also allowed the Red Cross in to search for bodies. The whole operation is being run by the FAR, so any real involvement from the U.S. is extremely unlikely. 

You have to wonder how run down the place must be for an errant lighting strike to cause a fire like this. You can claim bad luck all you want, but this isn't the first time lighting has struck an oil refinery and it wont be the last. Hopefully there isn't any more loss of life. 

Supposedly ships from all around the island are heading to the port to remove as much refined diesel as they can. That doesnt bode well for how long they think its going to burn, filling tankers can take a day, maybe more, if its already anchored. 

I talked to a friend earlier today whos house is in Guanabo, about 20 Kilometers east of Old Havana. He says the smoke is very visible, but that is several Kilometers in the air and you cant really smell it yet in Havana. But, if it rains, that rain will bring all the noxious fumes down with it. Hope for a dry few days in western Cuba. 

A link below to Granma's overly optimistic coverage and another below with some details on the "Thanks, but no thanks":

https://www.granma.cu/cuba/2022-08-07/en-vivo-se-refuerzan-las-labores-para-sofocar-el-fuego-en-la-base-de-supertanqueros-7-de-agosto

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article264256621.html

[BoliDan]

50 minutes ago, 99call said:

I wouldn't describe what's going on there as communisim or socialism.   Like Venezuela, or Russia, It looks like more like a Dictatorship or Kleptocracy.   A small group powerful rich people, stealing, mismanaging or squandering the national wealth, while their people endure horrible suffering. 

The fact that they have reached out to the states, is hopefully a good sign that there is finally a recognisation that everything has fallen to shit.  

I hope this instance may open up more avenues of relief for the people of Cuba, and maybe a final realisation that change must come (in whichever form) it seems anything is better than this 

 

It's going to always be muddled. Is any government true communism? Probably not, but they do tend to have the same outcomes no matter how they structured policy.

When you have a central authority in charge of all resources and labor it's only a matter of time until greedy elites abuse that power. If you go so deep down that rabbit hole where government can legally pillage property and business, communism and kleptocracy are the same thing. 

[helix]

Third Oil Storage Tank Collapses in Cuba Terminal Following Fire . So not only less oil to power the grid less tanks to store any shipments . Electricity may be scarce . The glow of the fire at Matanzas could be seen from the Malecon about 130kms away. Tough situation all around in Cuba these days.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/third-oil-storage-tank-collapses-cuba-terminal-following-fire-spill-governor-2022-08-08/

[El Presidente]

Woke up to a whatsapp message from Havana.

Add toxic rain to the mix.

[Blakes]

There has been another explosion. 

 

 

[Hammer Smokin']

as a FYI, having a lightning strike cause that damaged on a oil storage tank means it was completely void of lightning protection. 

that's insane. 

[dgixxer252525]

I have seen multiple posts about how it was t caused by a lightning strike at all. Lightning strike record data doesn’t show any strikes anywhere near Matanzas when the fire reportedly started. The Cuban regime is telling more lies. What a shock!

[El Presidente]

 

[Hammer Smokin']

I was going to say the lightning story seems a bit ... fishy. 

 

[mprach024]

Lightning?  Really?  Why do I find that hard to believe?  I mean…..lightning rods are pretty low tech.

[NSXCIGAR]

200-MW power plant off line amid oil depot blaze

Cuba was forced to take one of its largest power plants off line Monday due to the massive fire at the Matanzas fuel depot, deepening an already severe energy crisis on the Caribbean island

https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/americas/434047/cuba-takes-200-mw-power-plant-off-line-amid-oil-depot-blaze/

[helix]

Flames have engulfed a fourth tank . 

[El Presidente]

 

Fire spreads at Cuba oil storage facility as fourth tank erupts

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/09/cuba-matanzas-oil-depot-fire-energy-shortage

[NSXCIGAR]

I think they should probably start emptying out the fifth tank...just saying. 

[MrBirdman]

Good Lord, that country. I’ve always believed “never think it can’t get worse, God has a better imagination than you do” but this is just sadistic. 

[riderpride]

A friend took this last night on his drive back from havana. It was early evening, so you can see how heavy that cloud is...

[helix]

Nasty fallout if it rains much .

[El Presidente]

Firefighters on Tuesday finally overcame what officials described as the worst fire in Cuba's history that over four days destroyed more than 40% of the nation’s main fuel storage facility and caused massive blackouts across the island.

Reuters reported witnesses as saying the raging flames that destroyed four of the eight tanks of the Matanzas Supertanker port had died down and the towering plumes of thick black smoke streaming from the area were now mostly grey. As of Monday morning, three of the eight tanks had actually collapsed.

The fire, initially caused by a lightning strike on Friday 5 August, killed one firefighter and injured more than 100 other people — five remain in a critical condition — while at least another 14 firefighters have been reported as missing. A second fire broke out on Saturday.

On Tuesday, more helicopters joined the effort to put out the fire, along with two fireboats sent by Mexico along with heavy firefighting equipment. 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.

"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 local time on Tuesday.

Later in the day firefighters for the first time were entering the area and spraying foam and water on the still smouldering remains.