At least eight people were killed and at least 30 were injured in what became known as the “Great Depression”. five star hotel Saratoga, in the center of Havana, according to Cuban media. However, there are fears that the death toll could rise as the fate of 13 people is ignored.
On Friday morning, a strong explosion occurred at the Saratoga hotel in downtown Havana while liquefied gas was presumaly being moved from a truck. The facade of the building was practically destroyed. So far, no deaths or injuries confirmed.#Cuba #HotelSaratoga pic.twitter.com/hBW56Z249C
– Granma (English) (@Granma_English) May 6, 2022
Cuban President Miguel Dias-Canel, who went to the scene of the disaster, hastened to rule out a possible bomb attack, adding that authorities believe the explosion was caused by a gas leak.
The Cuban television report states that “it was not a terrorist attack”, while it is stated that the hotel was closed and only workers were inside the building at the time of the explosion.
The images released by Granma, the newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party, show a building that looks “bombed” with crumbling walls. A photo shows a body covered with a white sheet.
“There was a terrible explosion and everything collapsed”said a woman, with her face covered in dust, who was near the Saratoga Hotel at the time of the explosion.
Rescue crews rushed to the scene of the disaster, while police cordoned off the surrounding streets and the historic Capitol.
The five-star hotel, with 96 rooms and a rooftop pool, was renovated by a British company after the collapse of the Soviet Union and for a number of years housed foreign officials and celebrities visiting Cuba.
Following the easing of measures against the pandemic, the Saratoga Hotel was to reopen in four days, according to an announcement on its Facebook page.
Last time to dismantle Hotel Saratoga in front of the Capitolio with dental implants, subject to the explosion of a gas boiler pic.twitter.com/yrofaDE8xq
– El Arquitecto (@ArquiSpaces) May 6, 2022
An explosion at a hotel in the center of #Havanathe capital of #Cuba occurred. pic.twitter.com/vAmwnL1ZWX
– NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 6, 2022
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