At least four people were killed Friday in an explosion that destroyed much of the Hotel Saratoga, a luxury hotel in the historic center of Havana, Cuban authorities said.
The Communist Party’s First Secretary in Havana, Luis Antonio Torres Iríbar, told reporters that at least four people were dead, the Party’s newspaper Granma reported. Another Cuban official reported another 15 people were injured and receiving medical attention.
Images and videos show extensive damage to several floors, but the building was still standing. Two floors lost walls and windows, and a store on the ground floor was reduced to rubble. The explosion occurred around 11 a.m., independent news 14ymedio reported.
With eclectic architecture and just steps from Central Park and the Capitol, the hotel was restored and reopened as a five-star luxury hotel in 2005. Several Cuban-Americans and figures from the business world stayed there when they accompanied President Barack Obama on his visit to Cuba in 2016.
Several videos show dozens of people walking around, as well as members of the police and the fire department. Authorities have not yet reported any injuries or deaths, but witnesses quoted in the official media report the transfer of several victims to nearby hospitals.
The Twitter account of the Cuban presidency reported that preliminary investigations point to a liquefied gas explosion and that search and rescue efforts were ongoing. They also show images of Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero at the scene.
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