Four explosions occurred at the site of the city of Matanzas and nearly 80 people have been injured. Seventeen firefighters who were nearby and trying to stop the spread of the fire are missing. The Cuban government has asked for help from international experts in “friendly countries” with experience in the oil sector. As helicopters flew overhead to drop water, a thick plume of black smoke poured from the site and spread west towards the capital, Havana. The storage facility is equipped with eight giant tanks that hold oil used to fuel power plants. Lightning initially struck one tank, but the blaze later spread to a second – and the accident comes as Cuba continues to face fuel shortages. Adiel Gonzalez, who is nearby, said: “I was in the gym when I felt the first explosion. A column of smoke and terrible fire went up into the sky.” The neighborhood of Dubrocq, which is closest to the fire, has now been evacuated – with some choosing to leave neighborhoods a little further away. Madanzas is home to about 140,000 people and President Miguel Diaz-Canel traveled to the area on Saturday.