Cuban ex-firefighter recalls the tragedy at the Supertankers Base in Matanzas: "The worst day of our lives"

The former Cuban firefighter Juanky Yane revived on social media this Wednesday one of the most tragic episodes in the country’s recent history, the explosion and fire at the Supertanker Base in Matanzas, which claimed the lives of 17 people.

Three years after the disaster that brought mourning to dozens of families, the testimony moved thousands of Cubans and once again brought to light the open wounds of a tragedy marked by pain, improvisation, and a lack of accountability.

"Three years ago, I was reborn. God gave me the opportunity to continue with my loved ones. My burns still hurt, but what hurts me more is the loss of my fire brothers," wrote Yane, accompanied by the hashtag #FirefightersForever.

On August 5, 2022, Juanky Yane, along with his companions Frank Lorenzo Acosta Ferrer, Josvel Pichs, and Vladimir Zayas, embarked on a journey to the industrial area of Matanzas, unaware that that morning would be marked as "the worst day of our lives."

"I remember that when we arrived at the Supertankers, the scene was terrifying. From the moment we got there, we worked non-stop until 5 in the morning, when the explosion occurred... I lost more than just a colleague; I lost a brother," he recounted.

Yane was one of the injured who survived the nightmare.

During its publication, he recalled the screams, the burns, and the sight of his colleagues being treated in the hospital, some fighting for their lives.

Although he is no longer with the Fire Department, he asserts that his soul is still dressed in uniform and his heart with the victims.

In parallel to Yane's spontaneous tribute, the authorities of Matanzas held an official event in the square established as a monument in the Industrial Zone.

With floral tributes, roll call, speeches, and a photography exhibition titled "Memories of Fire," they commemorated the 17 deceased, most of whom were young adolescents undergoing Mandatory Military Service and were sent to the disaster's red zone without experience in large-scale fires.

However, neither the flags nor the cameras have managed to erase the outrage.

Relatives of the deceased—such as the grandmother of Leo Alejandro Doval Pérez de Prado, a young recruit who was only 19 years old and had just 15 days of training—continue to demand answers.

"Who is going to take responsibility for bringing those children there?" the elderly woman asked, while holding her grandson's portrait.

The fire was attributed to a lightning strike on a tank containing 40,000 gallons of fuel from the Matanzas refinery.

But the conditions that facilitated its spread — lack of equipment, untrained young people exposed to danger, absence of protocols, and hasty decisions — remain publicly unexplained.

The Ministry of the Interior, the Armed Forces, the Civil Defense, and the Communist Party, who are directly responsible for the operation and for sending those young people to the front line, have not been held accountable.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines announced that the reconstruction of the four destroyed tanks is progressing and will include new safety measures such as geodesic domes and lightning protection systems.

But the process, set to conclude in 2026, does not address the urgent need for truth, reparations, and justice for the victims and their families.

"They will never be forgotten. In the end, those who cry are at home; the rest remember you, and for others, you are just history," concluded Juanky Yane in his post.

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