MIAMI, United States. – This Monday, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, sent the Cuban people a telegram of condolences on behalf of Pope Francis for the fire and explosion at the Supertanqueros Base in Matanzasaccording to reported the Holy See Press Office.
“May the Lord grant you strength in this moment of pain and sustain the work of extinction and search,” the pope transmitted in the telegram addressed to Monsignor Emilio Aranguren Echeverría, bishop of Holguín and president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba.
The telegram also states that “the Holy Father is closely following the news that arrives about the unfortunate accident that has caused a fire and several explosions at the Matanzas Supertanker Base, with at least one deceased and numerous wounded and missing.”
“Likewise, Pope Francis assures his spiritual closeness to the Cuban people and to all the families of those affected; and he prays to the Lord to grant them strength in this time of pain and sustain the work of extinction and search, ”the telegram also prays.
For his part, Monsignor Emilio Aranguren sent this Sunday a message “to the people and to the Church of Matanzas” in which he invites them to raise “prayers with confidence in God (without anguish) and keeping in mind all those – in one way or another – who are suffering in our midst.”
“It is a time when, as the People of God – specifies Monsignor Aranguren – we must put intercessory prayer into practice”.
One of the eight fuel tanks of the Supertanker Base of the Matanzas industrial hub caught fire last Friday due to the impact of lightning. So far, two other tanks that exploded due to heating from the initial fire are on fire.
According to official data from the Cuban authorities, so far there has been one death, 121 injuries and 16 missing, mainly firefighters who were trying to extinguish the flames before the second explosion.
The smoke generated by the fire, which has reached points as far away as the island’s capital, has generated significant air pollution.
According to the governor of Matanzas, Mario Sabines, some 4,000 people have been evacuated because of the incident, mainly those who lived in areas near the Supertanker Base.
Meanwhile, military helicopters have thrown seawater and sand on the deposits to prevent the spread of the flames and prevent further explosions.
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