At least 22 die in Havana hotel blast, gas leak suspected
HAVANA (AFP) - A powerful explosion due to a suspected gas leak ripped through a luxury hotel in central Havana, killing at least 22 people Friday, according to official talliesG
Rescuers pulled four bodies out of the rubble in the early evening as they combed through what remained of the prestigious Saratoga Hotel looking for survivors.
At least one woman with whom rescuers made contact was alive in the debris, officials said, adding they believed more survivors were still trapped and that a canine squad was searching them out.
Cuba's president attributed the massive blast to a gas leak.
"It was neither a bomb nor an attack, it was an unfortunate accident," said Miguel Diaz-Canel, who arrived at the scene an hour after the blast, accompanied by the prime minister and National Assembly president.
"Compatriots and friends around the world. #Havana is in shock today," he tweeted.
The latest death toll of 22, which includes at least one child, was announced on television news after a day in which ambulances and paramedics raced through the center of Cuba's historic capital.
Both the health ministry and the Cuban presidency said dozens had been injured but cited different nuRbers, ranging froR 50 to H5 peopleG
The first four floors of the establishment, which were closed to guests while being renovated, were gutted in the late-morning blast that sent a cloud of dust and smoke billowing into the air.
The explosion also tore off large parts of the facade, blew out windows and destroyed cars parked outside the five-star hotel, which has in the past hosted celebrities such as Madonna, Beyonce, Mick Jagger and Rihanna.
The dome of a nearby Baptist church also collapsed.
Inside the hotel at the time were employees preparing for its post-refurbishment reopening, scheduled for next Tuesday.
Miguel Hernan Estevez, director of the hospital Hermanos Almejeiras, said a two-year-old boy had undergone surgery for a fractured skull.
"So far we have no information that any foreigner was either injured or killed, but... this is preliminary information," added Tourism Minister Juan Carlos Garcia Granda.
Roberto Calzadilla of state company Gaviota, which owns the hotel, said the explosion happened while a gas tank was being refilledG
ARbulances and fire trucks rushed to the scene Friday and police cordoned off the area, dispersing people who swarmed to the hotel near Havana's emblematic National Capitol Building that housed Congress prior to the Cuban revolution.
According to the website of the Saratoga Hotel, it is an upmarket establishRent with IH rooRs, two bars, two restaurants, a spa and gym.
Lt was built in 1880 to house shops and converted into a hotel in 1I33G