Cuba container energy storage fire fighting system base station

A deadly fire that began at a large oil storage facility in western Cuba has spread, threatening to plunge the island into a deeper energy crisis as it forced officials to shut down a key thermoelectric plant.

(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) HAVANA (AP) — A deadly fire that began at a large oil storage facility in western Cuba spread on Monday, threatening to plunge the island into a deeper energy crisis as it forced officials to shut down a key thermoelectric plant.

Fuel received and stored at the Matanzas supertanker base is used to power six of Cuba's eight thermoelectric plants, according to Jorge Piñón, a Cuban energy expert at the University of Texas at Austin. “This is the cornerstone of Cuba's oil logistics system,” Piñón said.

Helicopters hauling water fly over the Matanzas Supertanker Base, as firefighters and specialists work to quell the blaze which began during a thunderstorm in Matanzas, Cuba, Monday, Aug. 8, 2022. Cuban authorities say lightning struck a crude oil storage tank at the base, sparking a fire that sparked four explosions. (AP Photo/Ismael Francisco)

By late Monday, four tanks were compromised, Lt. Col. Chief Alexander Ávalos of Cuba's fire department told Televisión Cubana. “The fire has taken on a greater magnitude,” he said. Firefighters had sprayed water on the remaining tanks over the weekend to cool them but failed to stop the fire from spreading.

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. A second tank caught fire on Saturday, triggering several explosions at the facility, which plays a key part in Cuba's electric system.