An explosion at the Saratoga Hotel has left many dead in Havana, Cuba
Cuban authorities say a possible gas explosion has killed at least eight people and caused extensive damage to the Saratoga Hotel in Havana, Cuba. Credit: Daniel David Hernandez through Storyful
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Rescuers searched for survivors Friday afternoon after a major explosion rocked a luxury hotel in central Havana, killing at least eight people and injuring 40 others, Cuban officials said.
Preliminary information suggests the blast may have been caused by a gas leak, according to a stream of updates posted to President Miguel Diaz-Canel’s Twitter account. Diaz-Canel arrived at the scene shortly after the explosion and visited a hospital where the victims were being treated, videos and photos shared on social media show.
Residents and tourists dispersed after the blast as police and rescue workers flocked to the area and began clearing the rubble of the Saratoga Hotel, a five-star hotel in downtown Havana. The 19th-century hotel is located across the street from the Capitol building in Cuba and often hosts high-ranking guests and politicians.
Cuban National Health Minister Jose Angel Portal told the Associated Press that hospitals have admitted about 40 injured, but said the number could rise as the demand for people who may be trapped continues.
Havana Governor Reynaldo Garcia Zapata said the hotel was under renovation and no tourists were staying, according to Granma, a Cuban Communist Party newspaper. The hotel was expected to reopen next week after closing at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to a Facebook post.
In the same year, the hotel was placed on a list of prohibited accommodation for US citizens, according to the State Department. It has previously been visited by American celebrities and tourists.
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“It’s not a bomb or an attack. This is a tragic incident, “Diaz-Canel said in a tweet.
From the information provided by Torres Iríbar, there are currently 13 people in disrepair.
– Presidencia Cuba @ (@PresidenciaCuba) May 6, 2022
The blast came as Cuba struggled to revive its key tourism sector, which had been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic and had been negatively affected by the war in Ukraine.
Photos published by the Cuban news ACN and Granma show serious damage to the hotel walls and clouds of smoke rising in the sky. Taxis outside were covered with concrete slabs that fell in the blast, photos show. Nearby, dust and other debris covered iconic retro cars for which Cuba is famous.
A school next to the hotel was also evacuated.
Yazira de la Caridad, a mother of two, said the blast shook her home one block from the hotel: “The whole building has moved. I thought it was an earthquake. I still hold my heart in my hands, “she said.
Maye Perez said she rushed to the scene after receiving a call from her husband, Daniel Serra, who works at a currency exchange store at the hotel. She said he told her, “I’m fine, I’m fine. They took us out, “but we haven’t been able to contact him since.
The 96-room hotel has two bars, two restaurants and a rooftop pool, according to its website.
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Contribution: Associated Press
Contact the N’dea Yancey-Bragg news reporter at nyanceybra@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @NdeaYanceyBragg
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