According to the authorities of the territory, 700 tons of raw material were extracted from the disaster area and 90 percent of the materials to build the first tank are already in place.

This was confirmed by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Thursday during an exchange with managers and workers of several entities at the site of the deflagration.

Rigel Rodríguez, director of the Fuels Marketing Company, reported that the companies are engaged in several recovery phases, such as the revival of the technological system, the recovery of steel, and the supply of materials.

They are also working on the demolition of tank 51, where some teams are assessing whether the base of the tank did not suffer structural damage.

“If it is verified that the structure of the fuel tank is not damaged, the first tank will be built there. The forecast is that the four damaged containers could be demolished in 90 days,” the Cuban Presidency announced on its website.

On August 5, a flash of lightning struck one of the crude oil tanks in the industrial zone of the city of Matanzas and caused a fire of great proportions.

pgh/iff/rgh/mks