17 firefighters and 77 people injured are missing in Cuba the crude oil tank the tank caught on fire

Havana 7 August : A massive fire in the crude oil tank in the port of Matanzas in Cuba caused several explosions that caused at least 77 to be injured local authorities have said and added that 17 firefighters are reportedly missing.

Authorities have said that rescue teams have not been able to reach them due to of the extreme temperatures.The newspaper reported that Minister of Energy, Livan Arronte Cruz is among those injured.

The fire broke out at around 7 p.m.Friday when lightning struck the crude oil storage tank in the area for unloading in Matanzas port of Matanzas authorities said.Despite the efforts of firefighters to contain it there were at most four explosions that occurred on Saturday, the Matanzas provincial government of Matanzas announced via its official Twitter account.

Cuban authorities claimed they had sought help from the international community in putting out the flames.Images posted via social media on Saturday show a huge column of black smoke that is sweeping across the city of Matanzas and stretching up to 63 miles to Havana.

According to the most recent count, as reported by Granma the fire has caused at least 77 injured.Three are believed to be suffering severe injuries while two are in critical health.

The majority of victims were admitted to the local Faustino Perez hospital, however seven were admitted to hospitals in Havana.The wounded with minor burns , were three journalists who were at the scene of the fire after an explosion took place in the second tank that contained 52,000 cubic meters of fuel oil.The storage facility for oil is situated in the area of Matanzas Bay opposite the city centre.According to the state media, 800 residents of close areas have been evacuated to date.

The tank that was hit first by lightning was only just half capacity with around 25,000 cubic liters of crude.Local authorities say the lightning rod system was not working to stop the fire.

President Miguel Daaz-Canel traveled to Matanzas on Friday night, and visited the injured the following day.The Ministry of Transportation suspended all activities at the port of Matanzas and all vessels were diverted towards Havanas port of Havana to unload.