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Massive explosion brings 5-star Havana hotel to the ground
"I heard a horrible roar. The roof of the market where I was shopping began to shake," a local shopper told ADN Cuba. Exclusive images obtained by ADN Cuba show the destruction caused by the blast, which left the hotel and several other buildings surrounding Cuba’s legislature, the National Assembly of People's Power, severely damaged
May 6, 2022 12:05pm
Updated: May 7, 2022 12:11pm
An explosion in the heart of Havana caused the partial collapse of the Saratoga Hotel, leaving at least four dead, 19 injured and 13 missing early Friday morning.
The blast reduced at least three floors of the five star, luxury hotel to rubble, destroyed cars and buses in the immediate area and drew large crowds as the city’s emergency services arrived at the scene. ADN sources in Havana captured images of survivors waving for help from the hotel's higher floors.
The Cuban regime released a statement announcing that the explosion was caused by "a liquified gas explosion" and noted that further information was forthcoming.
Investigaciones preliminares indican que la explosión la provocó un escape de gas.
— Presidencia Cuba 🇨🇺 (@PresidenciaCuba) May 6, 2022
Próximamente habrá más detalles al respecto. pic.twitter.com/IdeWdksCBb
Shortly after the blast, the first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, Luis Antonio Torres Iribar, released a statement reporting that four victims have been pulled from the ruins, but said that more casualties are expected.
El Primer Secretario del Partido en La Habana, Luis Antonio Torres Iríbar, explica que hasta el momento se ha podido confirmar la muerte de 4 personas.
— Presidencia Cuba 🇨🇺 (@PresidenciaCuba) May 6, 2022
Continúan los trabajos de búsqueda y rescate en el hotel, donde todavía es posible que haya personas atrapadas.
Exclusive images obtained by ADN Cuba show the destruction caused by the blast, which left the hotel and several other buildings surrounding Cuba’s legislature, the National Assembly of People's Power, severely damaged.
In a video posted live on ADN Cuba, human rights activist Angel Cuza captured the chaotic moment in which local residents and first responders rushed to pull bodies from the rubble.
"I heard a horrible roar. The roof of the market where I was shopping began to shake," a local woman who was shopping on nearby Obispo Street in Old Havana told ADN Cuba.
After the explosion, the state-owned telecommunications company Etecsa reported system-wide outages due to structural damage to the network.
"Specialists are working continuously to solve the failure as soon as possible," they added.
The iconic Hotel Saratoga has been a Havana landmark since the building was first commissioned by Spanish merchant Eugenio Gregorio Palacios between 1879 and 1880. Constructed in a luxurious neoclassical style, the hotel is located on the Paseo del Prado in Old Havana.
The hotel was commissioned between 1879 and 1880 by the wealthy Spanish merchant Don Eugenio Gregorio Palacios who was born in Santander. Santander owned various rooming facilities and signed a contract in 1879 for $ 98,000 for the construction of the new building.
