[ghostdoll]

around 12:25 AM on friday there was a huge explossion in the main gasoline warehouse of Puerto Rico (I'm not sure if that's how it's called in english and I apologize in advance for my ignorance). Most of our firefighters are still trying to stop this fire that it's still burning

There are 20 HUGE gasoline "tanks" and already 18 of them have either eploded or caught fire. THe FBI sent people here to investigate once the fire is stopped. The Police, the National Guard and all those people that are experts in fire situations from New York and Los Angeles are here.

So far no one was "hurt", but lots of people had to be relocated since the fear of air contamination and acid rain is very high. Lost of buildings shook like if an earthqueate had hit and we were told that the explossions caused shocks of 2.8 in the Ritcher Scale
This is the link to the picture of what's going on:
http://www.elnuevodia.com/fotogaleria/629732/

[MacGyverOnline]

Wow that looks pretty major.

Hope they get it sorted out quickly.

[dinoman]

Wow, that looks awful! Luckily the area is far from residential houses as I see from the photo but I think the damages done to the environment are pretty serious and long-lasting.

Hope the fire is put off by now and the authority could figure out the cause asap so that it would not happen again.

[ghostdoll]

I hope so too

Lots of people, especially the eldery are all saying that it's like living one of those "end-of-the-world" movies.

I live kind of physically far away from the zone (it's in Cataño, and I live in Rio Piedras), but if you get on top of your houses you can see the black cloud in the day and the orange sky in the night!

There are two jails in Cataño and the police used the public transportation busses (AMAs) to transport them to another jails in other parts of the Island. I was glad there were NO situations with that.

Apparently because of the first explossion, roads near the place have craked open with chunks rising over and the "holes" created filling up with oil. It was commented that the biggest fear are the "jet fuel" tanks that are there. One of the tanks has the "top cover" "lifted up" like when you use a can opener to open a can of soup but you don't cut the whole lid and leave a little corner still stuck to the can. Other tanks look like when you hold an empty can of soda and squeeze it (I apologize in advance for my ignorant way of describing what's going on. I really have no way to explain what it's going on, but I'm working hard to become better.)

Big pharmaceutical companies like Baxter and Abbot have been helping by bringing food and medical stuff for all our firefighters. I sort of have the impression than when things turn really ugly in Puerto Rico there are lots of good people willing to help I just feel bad that it's in drastic situations like this one that our generous spirit shows up

[ghostdoll]

It's finally over. The place looks like a wasteland, and the investigation it's just starting, but at least the fire was finally taken control of and people can beging to feel somehow safe again.

[MacSAK]

That's good! The fire was huge...

[MacsChick]

Ghostdoll, I thought of you when I saw that. I'm glad you're all right.