Human error may have played a role in Cuba’s oil-terminal fire
It will exacerbate the island’s fuel and power shortages
Lightning hit a storage tank at Cuba’s main oil terminal in Matanzas, starting a fire that spread to three other tanks. One firefighter died and 14 are missing. The lightning rod had not been maintained, say reports in independent media. The fire contributed to a water shortage that forced the shutdown of a nearby power plant. Cuba was already suffering from fuel shortages and blackouts, which had triggered protests.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Human error may have played a role in Cuba’s oil-terminal fire”
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