Pope renews prayers for victims of fire in Cuba

By Sophie Peeters

During his Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis conveyed his thoughts and prayers for the victims and families of the massive fire in Cuba that killed at least one person. Another 14 people are currently missing, and five others remain in critical condition.

‘Worst fire in Cuban history’

Described as the worst fire in Cuba’s history, the blaze began on Friday night after lightning struck a fuel storage tank at the Matanzas oil depot, causing a massive explosion.

The fire spread to a second tank on Saturday, triggering further explosions that caused the fire to spread.

Over 40% of the Cuban island’s main fuel storage facility was destroyed, and massive blackouts were reported.

Firefighters on Tuesday were finally able to get the blaze under control with the support of more than 100 Mexican and Venezuelan reinforcements, including helicopters and fireboats sent by Mexico.

Pope Francis’ response

Separately, on Monday, Pope Francis sent a telegram to the president of the Bishops’ Conference of Cuba to express his closeness.

He said he is closely following the news about the incident and assured his prayers for those affected by the disaster.