Explosions at FAR warehouse occurred while "aged ammunition was being sorted"

The Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) confirmed that the explosions recorded on Tuesday, January 7, in a military materials warehouse in Melones, Rafael Freyre municipality, Holguín province, occurred during the classification of "aged ammunition."

The detonations were caused by a fire at the military facility, according to the institution in a statement shared on social media and expanded upon in official media, which later removed the information about the expired munitions from their reports, as did the portal Cubadebate, which was directly quoted by other outlets like Tribuna de La Habana.

The MINFAR assured that the incident “poses no danger to the community,” although as a precautionary measure, 1,245 people from the nearby communities were evacuated from the La Púa Popular Council in Gibara.

Authorities do not rule out the possibility of continued explosions due to the nature of the stored materials. A commission has been established to investigate the causes of the fire and assess the potential associated risks.

Context and concern for security

The explosions at military facilities have raised concerns among the population, particularly in a region that has already been the scene of similar incidents.

In 2020, a military storage facility in Holguín experienced a similar incident, with explosions that scattered projectiles in nearby communities, which forced the evacuation of more than 1,200 people and caused property damage.

At that moment, the authorities also did not provide conclusive details about the causes of the incident, which sparked a wave of rumors and speculation among the population.

The current incident in Melones highlights the inherent risks associated with the handling of outdated ammunition, a particularly sensitive material that requires extremely strict storage and handling conditions.

Specialists indicate that military warehouses in Cuba, some of which were built decades ago, may not meet modern security regulations.

Awaiting responses

While investigations continue, residents of Melones and nearby communities remain evacuated, awaiting more precise information about the risks and the measures taken to ensure their safety.

This new incident raises questions about the management of explosive materials on the island and the authorities' ability to prevent future incidents at critical military facilities.