On August 6, Cuba woke up shocked by the worst industrial disaster in its history. The fire at the Matanzas Supertanker Base, started by lightning, consumed a large part of the facility and its surroundings over the course of an endless week; and claimed the lives of 17 people ― most in the place, while fighting the flames; others, as a consequence of the burns suffered.
The accident, which caused strong explosions, with flames tens of meters high, also left a balance of a hundred injured and material losses amounting to millions of dollars.
Not only were the four damaged tanks lost, each with a capacity of 50,000 cubic meters, but also the crude oil they stored — the authorities estimate the damage at around 145,000 cubic meters —, workshops and other facilities on the base, and even homes in the surrounding areas, forcing the evacuation of nearby communities.
After days of enormous tension and uncertainty, the fire was put out thanks to the epic effort of firefighters from all over the island, and the advice and technological support of Mexico and Venezuela. The recovery work then began, knowing that the disastrous traces of the fire would not be easy to erase.
Four months later, with no details on what went wrong with the safety devices, the recovery work at the Supertanker Base has not finished. The work is still in the first stage, according to what officials explained to the press during a visit this week. This first phase is over 70% complete and has included demolitions, the removal of thousands of tons of twisted debris and the recovery of the dock functions, according to a report by the AP news agency.
However, even in the midst of the work, “the base has continued to operate, with its limitation,” Liber Sams, the base’s chief investment officer, told AP.
“We have less crude storage capacity, but we have not stopped giving service with an immense effort. We cannot afford to stop. This base is vital for the country’s economy,” he added.
The four tanks that were saved from the flames have continued to function “as they are,” says the report, according to which the authorities’ plan is to build another four tanks to replace the ones that burned, but “with new safety measures, among them a greater distance and reinforced with earth in addition to concrete.”
According to the official plans, the first of these tanks will begin to be assembled in March 2023, while the rest will be installed gradually with a totally Cuban investment of about 55 million dollars, AP specifies.
It had previously been reported that specialists from the Petróleos de Venezuela company (PDVSA) were collaborating with Cuban counterparts in adapting the base’s lightning rod system, with a view to minimizing risks, and based on what is established in current international standards.
The authorities had also reported on the recovery of the water supply to the base with solutions such as a new well; and on the incorporation of new pumps as part of the fire-fighting infrastructure.
As for the damaged dwellings, new homes are being built for its residents at a greater distance from the affected area. They should be ready in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, still in shock and horror from what they have experienced, the neighbors await the move.
The wounds left by the fire, both physical and emotional, are still visible in Matanzas.
The material damage is quantified in millionaire losses. Matanzas Supertanker Base, in December 2022. Photo: Otmaro Rodríguez.
