Havana
Luxury hotel explosion in Cuba kills
The Hotel Saratoga is badly damaged after an explosion. Photo: Ramon Espinosa/AP/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Initial investigations point to a gas leak as the cause. A massive explosion devastated a luxury hotel in Havana, killing several people.
At least four people were killed in an explosion at a luxury hotel in the old town of the Cuban capital, Havana. This was reported by the Presidential Office of the socialist Caribbean state.
Accordingly, there was a strong explosion at the Hotel Saratoga. According to initial investigations, a gas leak was the cause. A witness reported that liquefied gas was being delivered to the hotel at the moment of the explosion, reported Granma, the newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party. Accordingly, construction work also took place at the hotel. The “Cubadebate” portal reported that it had been closed.
Large cloud of smoke, collapsed facade
A large cloud of smoke and the partly collapsed facade of the building could be seen in the pictures. At least one neighboring building and several vehicles were also obviously damaged. Videos on social media showed a gathering of people around the scene of the accident. Some people rushed to try to help the injured. There was initially no reliable information on the number of injuries. According to the President’s Office, 13 people were missing.