Rescuers sought survivors this Saturday (7th) amongst the debris of the Hotel Saratoga in Havana, Cuba, which suffered a powerful explosion that killed at least 26 people on Friday, 6 according to the latest official report.
“My daughter works in Saratoga. She’s been under the rubble since yesterday and I still don’t know anything about her,” Yaumara Cobas told reporters. “Not in the morgue or the hospital,” she said.
Searches in the upper floors of the hotel found no bodies or survivors, according to a firefighter who arrived at the scene. Searches concentrated on the ground, basement and basement floors of the building, which is difficult to access due to heavy rubble.
Dog teams and rescuers, with the means to identify possible survivors, were trying to reach the basement where a woman called for help on Friday afternoon.
According to the new official balance sheet, 26 people, including 4 children and teenagers, lost their lives in the explosion. Nine of the 45 injured people still being treated at the hospital are in critical condition and six are in serious condition.
Spain’s head of government, Pedro Sánchez, said on Twitter: “We have received tragic news from Cuba. A Spanish tourist was killed and a Spanish citizen was seriously injured after the Saratoga hotel exploded.” said.
“All our love goes to their families, to all the victims and the injured. Our support goes out to the Cuban people as well.”
“What happened, the destruction, especially the loss of life, and also the injured people is very sad, but once again I want to underline the speed with which the population and institutions are mobilized,” said Cuban President Miguel Díaz-cinnamon.
“Solidarity has prevailed. #FuerzaCuba,” he added, referring to the many Cubans who rushed to donate blood Friday to help the injured.
The Saratoga, an emblematic hotel in Old Havana, has been closed for two years for repairs and is set to reopen to the public on May 10.
Workers were inside when the explosion occurred.
The first four floors of Saratoga, a five-star hotel with 96 rooms, two restaurants and a rooftop pool, exploded and nearly collapsed, surrounded by mountains of rubble and shards of glass. Many vehicles close to the scene were damaged.
Roberto Calzadilla, president of the state-owned Gaviota company that owns the hotel, said the explosion “happened while the gas was being regenerated. [caminhão-tanque] And apparently that’s what caused this unfortunate accident.”
A luxurious neoclassical building built for warehouses in 1880, Saratoga was renovated as a hotel in 1933 and reopened in 2005.
One of the most popular hotels in Havana, the hotel hosted Beyoncé and Jay Z, who celebrated their wedding anniversary in 2013, as well as Madonna and her daughter Lourdes, and Mick Jagger, the legendary member of the Rolling Stones.
source: Noticias
