The toll of wounded by fire in Matanzas, Cuba, rose to 67

The number of people injured by the fire in two fuel tanks in the supertanker base of this city's bay, rose to 67 while 17 are still missing, authorities from the provincial hospital Faustino Perez reported.

Seven of the wounded were transfered to the Calixto Garcia clinical-surgical hospital in Havana.

Miguel Emilio Garcia, director of the hospital, told national television that four of them have minor burns; two others are in very serious condition and one is reported to be critical.

The speaker of the National Assembly of People’s Power (parliament), Esteban Lazo, visited the Faustino Perez hospital and spoke with patients and medical specialists. Eaeliwe President Miguel Diaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero had called on the injured and talked to family members.

For his part, Public Health Minister Jose Angel Portal, who is also accompanying Lazo, detailed that there are three people in critical condition, three in very serious condition, 12 in serious condition, 20 in less serious condition and 29 with minor injuries.

He assured that bags of serum and all the creams for the care of the burn victims are available.

The incident occurred on Friday night when an electrical discharge during a thunder storm hit crude oil storage tank No. 52 at the Matanzas Supertanker Base. Burning spills reached a second 50,000-cubic meter tank that also burst into flames on Saturday morning.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, accompanied by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero and other Cuban authorities are closely monitoring the situation.