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Official media published shocking images this Saturday of a large-scale fire that affected the La Coloma Industrial Fishing Company in the early morning hours, located in the province of Pinar del Río, which is the main lobster processing facility in Cuba and one of the largest sources of export revenue for the regime.
According to the official Cuban News Agency (ACN), the Fire Department worked for several hours to control the blaze, which caused significant damage in various areas of the industrial plant.
The director of the entity, Yordan Nogueira Tapia, confirmed that there are no reports of loss of life or risk of ammonia leakage.
He also specified that the industry was shut down at the time of the fire, which likely prevented a greater tragedy.
“There is no loss of human lives nor danger of ammonia escape,” the official assured provincial media, as local authorities supervised the firefighting efforts.
The images shared on social media show extensive charred areas covered in smoke, as well as completely destroyed industrial machinery. Workers and emergency teams remain on-site to assess the damage.
The Fishing Company La Coloma contributes about 45 percent of the lobster caught in Cuba and nearly 80 percent of the bonito, according to data from the Ministry of Food Industry itself.
Its production is primarily intended for export, generating tens of millions of dollars annually.
Until now, the causes of the fire are unknown, although authorities have launched an investigation to determine its origin and the extent of the damages.
The incident occurs in a context of deep energy and material crisis that affects state-owned enterprises across the island, many of which operate with technical limitations and maintenance shortages.
The images of the disaster, shared by Tele Pinar and users on social media, illustrate the extent of the devastation left by the fire in one of the most important industries of the Cuban economy.
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