The fire trucks affected by the explosion that occurred a year ago in the Matanzas Supertanker Base They were destined for scrap, against the request of civil society groups who suggested that the authorities take them to a museum in honor of the firefighters.
“Do you remember when we wrote that these cars (were taken) to a MUSEUM in honor of the firefighters who gave their lives in the Matanzas incident?” asked the profile of Facebook ‘Cuban Firefighters’.
Burnt out and completely useless, the idea of taking the fire trucks to a museum was intended to contribute to the memory of the tragedy and heroism of the firefighters, and to honor those who lost their lives trying to put out the fire.
According to ‘Cuban Firefighters’, the idea was that “each person who could visit that museum would have the honor of knowing that history – which will remain in the memory of many for their entire lives – and keep it alive.”
However, the authorities of the Cuban regime rejected the proposal of the union of firefighters and they sent the vehicles to “raw material”, that is, to scrap.
The fire at the Supertanker Base, where crude from the largest refinery in Matanzas Bay is stored, broke out on August 5 of last year when lightning struck a tank with 40,000 gallons of fuel.
In the early morning of the following day, while a group of firefighters and support personnel tried to cool a tank near the accident, a sudden change in the direction of the wind caused it to catch fire, causing the death of those who were nearby.
Seventeen people died: Adriano Rodríguez Gutiérrez, Andy Mitchel Ramos Sotolongo, Areskys Quintero Orta, Dios del Nazco Vargas, Fabián Naranjo Núñez, Leo Alejandro Doval Pérez de Prado, Luis Ángel Álvarez Leyva, Luis Raúl Aguilar Zamora, Michel Rodríguez Román, Osley Marante Guerra, Osmani Blasco Sosa, Pablo Ángel López Martell, Raciel Alonso Martínez and Rolando Oviedo Sosa.
Four of them were conscripts for the compulsory Military Service and were between the ages of 19 and 24. Family members have since questioned why the soldiers, inexperienced in such disasters, were sent to the red zone.
Despite of emotional tribute paid to the victims In front of the Matanzas fire station, their relatives are still awaiting the conclusions of an investigation that will clarify what happened in the incident and determine responsibilities in events that perhaps could have been avoided and over which the regime extends a cloak of silence. and propaganda.
In lieu of these proposals and obligations, the regime announced that it will erect a mausoleum in honor of those who died in this disaster, one of the worst of its kind in the country’s history.
