HAVANA (Reuters) – A powerful explosion at an iconic hotel in central Havana on Friday killed at least 22 people and injured 70, witnesses and state media reported.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel spoke from the scene of the explosion and said the incident that partially destroyed the Saratoga Hotel was not caused by a bomb, but more likely by a leak of gas.
Miguel Diaz-Canel later told Reuters it was “just a dramatic accident”.
The explosion, which caused a thick cloud of smoke and dust, nevertheless created a wave of panic in the historic district of Havana, which was gradually reopening to tourists after months of uncertainty linked to the pandemic.
The blast also rocked a nearby school in which there were more than 300 students, according to health authorities. At least 15 children were injured, according to an initial report from the Ministry of Health, and one child died.
No foreigners were killed or injured, Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia said, according to initial findings.
Only employees were working inside at the time of the explosion. They were preparing to reopen the establishment, state television reported.
The Saratoga Hotel, a neo-classical five-star hotel, was completely renovated by a British firm after the fall of the Soviet Union and was considered for years the iconic place to stay for celebrities and high dignitaries.
(Report Dave Sherwood, with the contribution of Marc Frank and Nelson Acosta; French version Camille Raynaud, edited by Matthieu Protard and Caroline Pailliez)
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