Posted on 09/30/2006 10:14:59 AM PDT by shield
HAVANA (AFX) - A blaze of 'huge proportions' broke out late Wednesday at Cuba's biggest oil refinery in Havana, leaving at least two people injured, authorities said.
'The fire is of huge proportions and its burning out of control at this time, but we're working on it,' a fire department spokesman said.
'The oil is on fire and we're trying to stop it from spreading to other tanks ... its serious but we'll get it under control. Its just a matter of time,' he added.
An interior ministry official said the fire had injured at least two people, who were taken to a military hospital.
Unofficial sources, however, said several people had been hurt by the fire at the Nico Lopez refinery which started at about 11.30pm.
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Huge explosion and fire at Havana's biggest refinery
A blaze of 'huge proportions' broke out late Wednesday at the Ñico López oil refinery, Cuba's biggest, leaving at least two people injured, authorities said.
A friend who has been chatting directly with persons in Cuba told me that at least one person, the director of the refinery whose last name was Varela, has died.
This information was confirmed on Thursday night by Cuban authorities who told the Associated Press that "one worker, Orestes Varela Pérez died and Osvaldo Fernández Díaz was seriously hurt."
The officials identified the two as workers of Cuba Petroleo and didn't say if Varela was the director of the refinery.
"The fire is of huge proportions and its burning out of control at this time, but we're working on it," a fire department spokesman told the AFX News.
"The oil is on fire and we're trying to stop it from spreading to other tanks ... its serious but we'll get it under control. Its just a matter of time," he added. An interior ministry official said the fire had injured at least two people, who were taken to a military hospital.
Unofficial sources, however, said several people had been hurt by the fire at the Ñico Lopez refinery which started at about 11.30pm on Wednesday.
Sounds hugh and series.
Let's see, the fire was on Wednesday, and we're learning about it on mid-Saturday.
Gotta love them open utopian societies.
Watch that first step, Mr. Varela. It's a doozy.
Fill your tank now.
New excuse for higher prices!
Huge explosion and fire at Havana's biggest refinery
They have a refinergy in Havana? You'd think the greenies would be outraged.
Hugo Chavez's fault. He supplied the oil.
It was Shell's refinery...then castro took it...
I am underwhelmed with sympathy.
Just shows how crappy everything in a communist country is and how as little as possible is done to maintain anything. Wonder if it's been fixed yet?
Probably a 2500 bpd refinery. Conservation in Cuba has really been paying off. I hear they love to carpool, use alternative fuels including urine in the gas tank and keep the air conditioner at a steady 95 degrees all year round. Its nice when the population is so patriotic. Things work so much better.
"It is all a trick by the evil oil companies so they can raise prices." Actual quote from a co-worker when he hears about any sort of mishap at a refinery.
It probably hasn't been touched since 1959.
For a price, of course.
First, I didn't realize they could even refine oil. Second, I didn't know they had enough water and hoses to put out a fire. I am impressed with the Peoples' Republic.
A military contact told me that when chavez took over in his country....all the oil guys in the know left...he put his own in and the oil industry is now a mess...his thugs don't know what they're doing. He also told me chavez is only making lots of $$$'s because of the barrel price of oil...when those prices levels out...chavez will be in big trouble financially...it's comin' down and when it goes below $50...his finances are toast. So I wouldn't count on chavez and the cuban refinery being put back into good working order!!
Bush caused it to happen.
CIA?
I grew up a few miles south of all the refineries/petrochem plants lined up along the Houston Ship Channel. Explosions were frequent enough that, when we heard one, we didn't even run to the back door to look -- we just waited for the distinctive siren/horn/whistle emergency signal to tell us "which plant has 'gone up' this time"...
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