Matanzas fire: Venezuela sends specialists and equipment to control fire

MATANZAS, Cuba, Aug 7 (ACN) Conviasa flight A 340 arrived Saturday night in this city with solidarity aid sent by the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to fight the large-scale fire, still uncontrolled, at the supertanker base.

Specialists from Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) come to offer their talent and experience, supported by fourteen tons of foam and equipment to face the fire, as explained by PDVSA official, Rugert Hurtado, as a token of love and solidarity of the people of Chávez and Bolívar towards the homeland of Fidel and Martí.

Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, Cuban Minister of Transportation, explained to the press that the Mexican specialists who arrived on the previous flight are already on site to extinguish the fire, and that their Venezuelan colleagues will leave the airport directly to the super tanker base.

After the arrival of the Venezuelan specialists, the first cargo plane arrived in Cuba from Mexico with logistical support, and two more are expected from the sister nation.

Cuban authorities at the national and provincial level remain at the site of the fire, checking and verifying the actions taken at dawn to quell the flames.

The days have been intense since Friday when lightning struck a crude oil tank at the supertanker base in Matanzas and caused the disaster that has kept all of Cuba on standby, while solidarity support is being received from other provinces and friendly nations.