Russian foreign ministry in contact with Cuba on fire at oil storage facility

Russia’s foreign ministry is in contact with the Cuban side to coordinate efforts to put out fire at an oil storage facility in the Matanzas province, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.

"Following the disaster, Cuba has requested international assistance. Russia’s foreign ministry and relevant agencies are in contact with the Cuban side to coordinate possible joint actions and necessary assistance," she said.

"In these hard for Cuba days, the Russian foreign ministry offers the sincerest words of support to the Cuban friends, extends condolences to the families of those killed and wishes the soonest recovery to those injured," she said.

The fire at an oil storage facility in the Cuban province of Matanzas, which held around 25,000 cubic meters of oil, broke out on August 5 after a lightning strike. Several explosions followed. Firefighting operations continue, involving Cuba’s air forces. According to official data, several people died, dozens were hurt and many more are missing. Some 2,000 people have been evacuated from the accident zone. Cuba’s Minister of Energy Nicolas Arronte Cruz is among those hurt, the ministry recalled.