The number of deaths increased to 26

Cuban rescue workers on May 7 searched for possible survivors from an explosion at a hotel in the capital, Havana.

The explosion took place at the Saratoga hotel, severely damaging two adjacent luxury apartment buildings and causing milder damage to 17 structures within a two-block radius. Glass and debris fell on pedestrians in the high-traffic area and flew to a nearby school.

The local government said that 50 adults and 14 children were injured in the hotel explosion. Four of the dead were children and one victim was a Spanish tourist.

According to authorities and local media, rescuers are trying to find a way down to the basement in the hope of finding survivors. The search and rescue work was slow as engineers had to check the stability of the rest of the building.

The hotel, located in a building more than 100 years old, was closed and only workers were inside at the time of the explosion, Cuban state television reported. Residents of adjacent apartment buildings often rent rooms to tourists.

This neoclassical hotel was remodeled by a British company after the fall of the Soviet Union and has for many years been used as a residence for government officials and celebrities.

Recently, the Saratoga hotel has lost some of its position as many new hotels have been opened in the capital city of Havana. However, Saratoga remains a five-star hotel just a few minutes away from various historical sites such as the centuries-old Marti Theater.

Cuba’s tourism industry has largely shut down for the past two years and is in the process of reopening, as domestically-developed vaccines seem to tame the COVID-19 outbreak, although arrivals have remained steady. about 30% of the pre-pandemic level.