The historic accommodation in Havana, about to reopen after a reform, is devastated by a gas leak, according to the first investigations
A powerful explosion at the iconic Saratoga hotel in the Cuban capital left at least 18 dead and dozens injured this Friday while, at press time, the emergency services were still working to locate and rescue more people who might have been trapped. among the rubble. “Preliminary investigations” pointed to an accident. The Government indicated, in fact, on social networks that “a possible gas leak” could have caused it.
Apparently, some reforms were also being carried out in this luxurious accommodation, which is why, as confirmed by Reinaldo García, governor of Havana, to the official newspaper Gramma, there were no tourists inside. Also, a nearby school was completely evacuated and none of the children were harmed.
At eleven in the morning (five in the afternoon in Spain) a powerful deflagration was heard that startled the heart of the Caribbean capital. And immediately, an immense column of smoke made the first floors of the historic building barely perceptible; it extended towards Prado, the main avenue of the city, and left behind a devastating image.
The first three floors were left ‘bare’; the facade had blown and from the street flames could be seen in some points of the interior. The Saratoga, located in front of the National Capitol -the seat of the Cuban Parliament- was revealed to be practically destroyed while the Police cordoned off a large area around the building and the emergency services deployed en masse to assist the victims.
citizen help
In the first moments, citizens who were surprised by the explosion also went to the rescue of victims, walking with difficulty through the large amount of debris that invaded the street. Among the testimonies that were spread on social networks, some witnesses also warned that several people had been trapped on the upper floors of the building.
At first, the authorities officially confirmed the death of four people, although they already indicated that they had evidence of at least thirteen missing persons. The person in charge of Health, Emilio Delgado, would confirm hours after the explosion that there were already nine deceased. The number of hospitalized rose to forty. The president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, went to the accident area in the company of the prime minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, and the head of the National Assembly, Esteban Lazo. And later they also went to the Hermanos Amijera hospital, where the wounded were transferred.
Díaz-Canel himself, according to the official Twitter account of the Government, ruled out that it could be some kind of attack. “It was not a bomb or an attack, it is an unfortunate accident.” As more details of what could have happened became known, it was suggested that the origin of the explosion could have been in a boiler located in the kitchen.
The building was built in 1880 and since the 1930s it has been one of the tourist references when it became a luxury hotel. The Saratoga, which like many similar establishments suffered a two-year lockdown due to the pandemic, had 96 rooms, two bars, two restaurants, a spa and a gym after a reopening in 2005. The work that was being carried out these days was going to mark its last big update. In fact, its new official reopening was scheduled for next week.
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