Cuban firefighters were joined by special teams sent by Mexico and Venezuela on Sunday as they battled for a second day to control a fire blazing at a big oil tank farm in the western province of Matanzas.
Authorities said Sunday that a body found at the site had been identified as firefighter Juan Carlos Santana, 60.
The fire, set off by a lightning strike, left 122 others injured, including five in critical condition, according to the latest update from authorities. Officials previously said a group of 17 firefighters had gone missing while trying to quell flames.
More than 4,900 have been evacuated, according to The Associated Press. Most evacuees are from the Dubrocq neighborhood, which is next to the Matanzas Supertanker Base in Matanzas city. The facility’s eight huge storage tanks hold oil used to fuel electricity generation.
FIRE AT CUBAN OIL FACILITY LEAVES 1 DEAD, 121 INJURED: OFFICIALS
MCKINNEY FIRE IN CALIFORNIA SUSPECTED OF KILLING TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FISH IN KLAMATH RIVER
Dense black smoke billowed up from the tank farm and spread westward more than 62 miles to Havana. The Ministry of Science and Technology said the cloud contained sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and other toxic substances.