A dozen people are also missing. According to the Cuban Presidency, the first observations “indicate that the explosion was caused by a gas leak”.
Le Monde with afp
A strong explosion, the origin of which remains unknown has occurred in a hotel under construction in the center of Havana, in Cuba, killing at least four and thirteen injured on Friday, May 6. “The first observations indicate that the explosion was caused by a gas leak,” said the Cuban presidency account on Twitter.
The Saratoga hotel, classified five-stars, has 96 rooms, two restaurants and a roof swimming pool. According to the first images available, its facade was largely damaged. The first four floors were completely blown away, and the ground was strewn with debris and pieces of glass, noted the France-Presse (AFP) agency on site. A cloud of smoke and dust rose from the Prado, the main avenue of the center of Havana, where the hotel is located, close to the Capitol.
Several vehicles have also been destroyed near this hotel, known to have hosted several celebrities in recent years including Madonna and Beyoncé.
The emergency services in number closed the perimeter while the emergency services sought any victims in the rubble at the foot of the hotel. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel arrived, accompanied by Prime Minister, Manuel Marrero Cruz, and the President of the National Assembly, Esteban Lazo.