(Havana) The death toll from the accidental explosion that blew up the Saratoga Hotel in Havana rose to 30 on Sunday, three more than the day before, the Ministry of Public Health said.
Posted at 12:39 p.m.
“As of 11:30 a.m. on May 8, 84 people were injured, 24 of them were hospitalized, 30 patients were discharged from hospital and 30 died,” the ministry said in a statement on its website.
In its previous press release, the ministry had reported 27 deaths.
Firefighters and rescuers had been working since early Sunday morning searching for bodies under the rubble of the building in Old Havana.
Among the 30 dead, 16 are men and 14 are women, including four minors, a pregnant woman and a 29-year-old Spanish tourist whose husband was also injured in the explosion that partially destroyed the luxury hotel, which was under renovation.
Among the 24 people hospitalized, seven are declared in critical condition, six in serious condition and 11 less severely affected.
The iconic hotel had been closed for two years due to the pandemic and was preparing to reopen to the public on May 10.
According to the Ministry of Tourism on Saturday, 51 workers were inside when the explosion occurred, apparently caused by a gas leak as the hotel was supplied by a tanker truck. The first four floors of the 5-star hotel were destroyed.
The Saratoga is known for hosting several celebrities in recent years, including Mick Jagger, Beyoncé and Madonna.
Built in 1880 to house shops, the building was transformed into a hotel in 1933 and became a luxury establishment in 2005.