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Rescuers searched the rubble of the Saratoga Hotel for other possible victims. Authorities suspected a gas leak to be the cause of the accident.
Havana. The hotel, one of the symbols of the Cuban capital, was badly damaged in the explosion on Friday, the facade of the first four floors was completely destroyed. The dome of a nearby Baptist church also collapsed, destroying cars parked nearby.
According to the operator, 51 employees and workers were in the hotel at the time of the accident to prepare for the planned reopening next Tuesday after two years of closure due to the corona pandemic and renovation work. Independent Cuban media published a list with the names of 19 missing persons. The authorities only said that 19 families had asked about their relatives.
According to official information, four children and young people and a Spanish tourist were among the fatalities. According to the Ministry of Health, 81 people were injured and 37 were still in the hospital on Saturday evening.
The search for possible survivors and other victims focused on the two basement floors of the hotel on Saturday evening. Debris made access difficult. On Friday afternoon, a woman buried under the rubble called for help.
According to initial findings, the cause of the accident was a gas leak, the Cuban Presidential Office said. According to state tourism company Gaviota, the explosion happened while a gas tank in the hotel was being filled.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel spoke of a “regrettable accident”. At the same time he praised the reaction of the authorities and the solidarity of the citizens. Many Cubans volunteered to donate blood immediately after the accident.
The Hotel Saratoga was built in 1880 as a department store, in 1933 the building was converted into a hotel. In the past it has hosted celebrities such as Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger and pop stars Beyoncé, Rihanna and Madonna.
Two Spanish passers-by were among the victims of the recent accident: a 29-year-old tourist died and her husband was seriously injured. “All our condolences go to the families and all the victims and injured. All our support also goes to the Cuban people,” wrote Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Twitter.
Source: Nachrichten
