At least 49 people injured after fire in an oil tank in Cuba

Diesel shortage generates blackouts in Cuba and long lines of vehicles 2:18 (CNN) — At least 49 people were injured, two are in critical condition and seven seriously, after lightning struck a large oil storage tank this Friday night in Matanzas, Cuba, causing a large fire, as reported this Saturday by the Cuban presidency on its Twitter account. President Miguel Díaz-Canel is at the Faustino Pérez Hospital, where the wounded are being treated. “We are closely following the confrontation with the fire in the Industrial Zone. We trust the authorities of the province, the brave firefighters and the workers of CUPET,” President Miguel Díaz-Canel tweeted, referring to the state-owned Petroleum Union of Cuba. The massive fire comes at a time when Cuba faces a deepening energy crisis amid fuel shortages. An electrical discharge at the base of the oil tank, which stores crude oil, caused the fire, according to Susely Morfa González, first secretary of the Cuban Community Party in Matanzas province. The fire did not affect the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant, the ministry said, which contributes to the national electricity system. Authorities from the province, the fire department, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba and the Ministry of the Interior are fighting the flames, González said.