The number of powerful explosions that blew up the Saratoga Hotel, an emblematic establishment in Havana, climbed Saturday to 32 dead and 19 missing, while rescuers are still searching for survivors.
The previous number reported 26 dead, including 4 children and adolescents, but, according to Gloria Bonnin, a provincial Red Cross official, the latest list produced by emergency services brought the number of those killed at 32, in this explosion was probably due to a gas leak.
Several dozen injured are still hospitalized.
If there are no tourists inside the Saratoga hotel, closed for two years due to the pandemic, workers and employees are preparing for its reopening after work, scheduled for next Tuesday.
At the time of the accident, 51 employees were working on the building […], 11 of them are known to have died so far; 13 were missing, 6 were hospitalized and others were released at the right timeexplained at a press conference Roberto Enriquez Calzadilla, spokesman of the tourist group Gaviota.
Among the victims was a 29-year-old Spanish tourist walking near the hotel, whose wife, who is Spanish, was seriously injured. All our love to the families and to all the victims and injured. All of our support is also with the CubansSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez tweeted.
My son works in Saratoga, he was there [sous les décombres] from yesterday, eight o’clock in the morning, and since then I have known nothing about himsaid, crying, Yaumara Cobas to reporters, explaining that she had not found her daughter either in the morgue or in a hospital.
Searches on the top floor of the building found no bodies or survivors, a firefighter in the area said. They are now concentrated on two underground floors, where access to large quantities of rubble is complicated, an AFP journalist said.
Canine teams and rescuers carrying tools for detecting possible survivors are hoping to gain access to the basement, where a woman called for help Friday afternoon.
” We have to move forward, maybe there are still companions below, alive, and as time goes on, there is less chance of staying alive. “
Located away from the famous Capitol, seat of the National Assembly, Saratoga is a symbol of Old Havana with its recognizable green facade and image as a star hotel-it has notably welcomed Mick Jagger, Beyoncé and Madonna.
But on Saturday morning, it showed its gutted carcass, the first four floors swept away by the explosion.
” What happened was very unfortunate, the destruction, especially the loss of life, and also the injured, but again I would like to underline the speed of action of the population and institutions. “
Unity prevailedMr. Diaz-Canel added because many Cubans rushed to donate blood on Friday to help the injured.
Residents of nearby homes damaged by the blast were evacuated as a precaution to accommodation centers, television said.
Under construction, the Saratoga hotel has been closed to tourists for two years due to the pandemic.
Only workers and employees are inside preparing for its reopening, which is scheduled for May 10th.
Built in 1880 to house shops, the neoclassical building was converted into a hotel in 1933 and renovated into a luxurious establishment in 2005, 5 star rated with 96 rooms, two restaurants and a rooftop swimming pool.
The first elements indicate that a gas leak during a tanker truck’s refueling operation caused the explosion, which occurred around 11 a.m. on Friday.
On Friday, the United States, Canada, the European Union and Venezuela specifically expressed condolences to the Cuban authorities.
China is deeply saddened by the loss of life in (this) accident and expresses its sincere condolences to the bereaved families and the injured.said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Saturday.
For his part, Russian President Vladimir Putin also conveyed his condolences to his counterpart, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Source: Radio-Canada
