A powerful explosion blasted the notorious Saratoga Hotel in the heart of Havana
No foul play is suspected as the explosion at the five-star hotel killed at least nine and sent survivors scrambling to find safety.
Updated: The following written content from British Broadcasting
Firefighters are searching the rubble of the Saratoga Hotel in the Cuban capital, Havana, after a huge blast ripped through the building on Friday.
At least 35 people were killed in the explosion, which is thought to have been caused by a gas tanker parked outside the hotel.
The Saratoga is one of Cuba’s most exclusive five-star hotels.
The local mayor said that the search would continue until all victims had been located.
On Monday, rescue workers said that they had found four more bodies in the rubble.
The 19th-Century hotel in Havana’s old town had been closed for renovations and most of the victims were construction workers and staff.
State TV said there was hope that some people could have survived the blast in the building’s basement but officials said they feared there could also be more bodies among the ruins.
Four children, a pregnant woman and a 29-year-old Spanish tourist who was walking past the building are among the victims.
Scores were also injured and 24 remained in hospital on Sunday.
The first four floors of the landmark were completely gutted and its façade was blown off.
The following written content from Patrick Oppmann
An explosion that destroyed the Hotel Saratoga in Havana on Friday was not caused by “a bomb nor an attack,” Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said.
After returning to the site of the deadly blast following a brief visit to two hospitals treating the victims, Díaz-Canel called the incident a “regrettable accident.”
Hospitals continue to treat the wounded, and rescue activities are still underway, he added.
The Hotel Saratoga, which was rocked by an explosion today, is located in the heart of the Cuban capital city of Havana, just a few steps away from the National Capitol building.
The hotel, which was built in the 1930s and has 96 rooms, was reopened in 2005 after refurbishment, according to its website.
Cuban officials said a gas leak is thought to be the cause of the blast, and at least 8 people have been reported killed. Officials expect the number to go up as rescuers go through the rubble, Oppmann noted.
“When we arrived, we saw a woman being carried out quite bloodied and very injured,” Oppmann reported on CNN. “Literally, firemen using their bare hands to pull up pieces of granite and stone to get people out from under these chunks of rubble.
When we walked in close to this hotel — 100, 150 yards away — there was shrapnel, pieces of metal awnings and balconies and large chunks of stone. Anybody in the area could have been injured. We don’t know if the hotel was open right now. All the same, though, that has caused a significant number of deaths and injuries.”
Oppmann described Hotel Saratoga as an “iconic hotel” in Havana, noting that celebrities and officials have stayed there. Read more from CableNews
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