CUBA MOURNS ITS DEAD

HAVANA: Cuba announced 42 hours of mourning for the 45 people killed in an explosion at a hotel in Havana last week.

The period of mourning began at dawn on Friday and was set to last until midnight today (Saturday).

A statement read out on state television gave the latest death toll of “44 compatriots and a Spanish citizen”.

Cuba’s flag is due to fly at half mast on public buildings and military institutions.

The announcement was made shortly after fire brigade chief Luis Carlos Guzman told reporters the last dead body had been pulled from the rubble of the Saratoga hotel in Havana’s historic quarter.

Amongst the dead were four children, a pregnant woman and the 29-year-old Spanish tourist. Another 54 people were injured in the blast, believed to have been caused by a gas leak, according to the health department.