Injured Worker in Critical Condition After Major Explosion at Sancti Spíritus Asphalt Plant

An employee suffered severe injuries following a significant explosion at the Sancti Spíritus asphalt plant on the evening of December 24th, around 8:30 p.m. The local newspaper, Escambray, suggests that the blast might have been triggered by a fire in one of the three tanks storing RC liquid, a key ingredient in asphalt production, though this has not been officially confirmed.

The injured worker, identified as Alexey Díaz Salas, age 48, is currently hospitalized in critical condition at the Camilo Cienfuegos Provincial General Hospital. According to Dr. Aliosky Polo Santana, the hospital's director, Díaz Salas has sustained burns covering 50% of the upper body along with a cranial injury. "At present, our neurosurgery team is assessing him, but the burns are our most pressing concern," Dr. Polo Santana noted.

Thanks to the swift response from the Fire Department, the large-scale fire has been fully extinguished. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Ávalo Jorge, head of the department, stated that the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined. The fire inflicted significant material damage, primarily within the tank area, affecting the adjacent tanks as well.

Local Party and Government officials visited the explosion site to assess the situation. Built in 1948, the Sancti Spíritus asphalt plant holds the distinction of being Cuba's oldest still-operating facility of its kind.