At least eight people were killed, around 30 injured and 13 others were missing on Friday after the strong explosion which partially destroyed the Saratoga hotel in central Havana on Friday, probably due to a gas leak.
“So far, eight people have died and around 30 are hospitalized,” the Cuban presidency said on Twitter.
Shortly before, the first secretary of the Communist Party in Havana, Luis Antonio Torres Iribar, had reported that “13 people [étaient] missing” and warned: “search and rescue work continues in the hotel, where it is possible that other people are stuck” under the rubble.
The hotel, under construction, was closed to tourists.
“Initial findings indicate that the explosion was caused by a gas leak,” the Cuban presidency’s account said on Twitter.
According to the local leader of the historic district of Havana, Alexis Costa Silva, quoted by the state media Cubadebate, a canister of liquid gas was being changed in the hotel. The cook smelled gas and discovered a crack in the pipe, which caused the explosion.
“A terrible explosion”
The first four floors of the 5-star-rated Saratoga Hotel with its 96 rooms, two restaurants and rooftop pool were blown away in the blast, which occurred around 11 a.m. and the floor was littered with debris and broken glass , noted AFP journalists.
A few minutes after the explosion, a thick cloud of smoke and dust spread over the avenue du Prado, where the hotel is located, a stone’s throw from the famous Capitole public building.
“We felt a huge explosion and a cloud of dust that reached the park [en face de l’hôtel]a lot of people ran out, “testified to AFP Rogelio Garcia, driver of a bicitaxi which passed in front of the Saratoga at the time of the explosion.
“There was a terrible explosion and everything collapsed,” said a woman, her face covered in dust, who did not want to give her name.
Several vehicles were also destroyed near this hotel, known for having hosted several celebrities in recent years, including Madonna and Beyoncé.
The police, who arrived in large numbers, fenced off the perimeter while the emergency services searched for possible additional victims in the rubble at the foot of the hotel. At least two ambulances and five fire engines were present on the spot, noted AFP.
President Miguel Diaz-Canel arrived there at midday, accompanied by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero and the President of the National Assembly Esteban Lazo, before going to a hospital where the injured were being treated.
A school is located right next to the hotel but luckily, “all the children were evacuated and none were injured”, indicated the Cuban presidency.
Further details will follow.