After a night of uncertainty, firefighters gear up for the final battle against the blaze in Matanzas

Matanzas, August 8 (RHC)—The battle with a massive fire at an oil depot in the western Cuban city of Matanzas entered its 3rd day on Monday.

The night brought uncertainty after a huge blast past 11 pm, provoked by the collapse of a second storage tank.

Local authorities informed that the feared collapse of the third tank had not occurred and that an oil spill from the second tank had exceeded the expected area.

As a result of this blast, the most powerful since the beginning of the fire on Friday, three people were slightly injured.

Experts from Mexico and Venezuela continued aiding Cuban firefighters in their attempt to quell the blaze, which has left one firefighter dead, 16 others missing and some 120 people hurt.

Meanwhile, a Dominator portable pump of 5000 gallons per minute provided by Venezuela was being deployed on the blaze site to help the efforts to put out the fire with foam.

The island’s top authorities, President Miguel Diaz-Canel, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz, and ministers have remained with local authorities since Friday to coordinate relief efforts.