Daijiworld Media Network – Havana

Havana, Feb 14: A fire broke out on Friday at Cuba’s Ñico López Refinery in Havana Bay but was quickly brought under control, officials said, as the island grapples with a worsening fuel shortage. The blaze erupted in a warehouse at the facility, sending black smoke billowing over the capital before crews contained the flames. There were no reported injuries, and the fire did not reach the refinery’s fuel storage tanks, authorities said, adding that the cause of the incident is under investigation.

The refinery, one of Cuba’s main sources of processed fuel, remains operational following the incident. Local fire brigades and refinery emergency teams worked to extinguish the fire, which officials said began in an area storing obsolete additive products.

The blaze occurred against the backdrop of a deepening energy crisis in Cuba, where fuel supplies have been severely constrained after the United States blocked Venezuelan oil shipments — a key source of fuel for the island — while also pressuring other potential suppliers. The shortage has already led to fuel rationing, blackouts, and disruptions to public services.

Two Mexican navy ships carrying more than 800 tonnes of humanitarian aid arrived in Havana Bay on Thursday, underscoring Cuba’s growing need for assistance as energy challenges intensify.

Officials and analysts have warned that the fuel crisis could have far-reaching effects, including on electricity generation, transportation and aviation, with some airline services already suspended due to jet fuel shortages.

United Nations experts have described the restrictions on oil imports into Cuba as an “extreme form of unilateral economic coercion,” and expressed concern over the island’s humanitarian situation if the fuel crisis continues to worsen.