By the end of the afternoon, 54 people had been injured, 18 of whom were still in hospital, and 40 had died, including four children and a teenager and a Spanish tourist. Of the injured, six are still in critical condition and seven are in critical condition, the ministry said.
In the morning, emergency services announced the removal of four bodies from the rubble of the hotel, after which the death toll rose to 35. The bodies of the four hotel staff who were found, according to the Cuban state news agency ACN, said in the afternoon that “12 or 13 people” were still missing.
Risk of collapse
The search continued Monday at the end of the day, focusing on the basement of the building, making access difficult due to the rubble. “This is a very dangerous step because there is a risk of debris accumulating and collapsing,” the fire chief said.
The iconic luxury hotel in central Havana was closed for two years due to the epidemic and was set to reopen on Tuesday after a series of missions.
According to the Ministry of Tourism on Saturday, 51 employees were inside the building when the explosion occurred, and a gas leak occurred when it was supplied to the hotel by a tanker truck. The first four floors of the 5 star hotel were demolished.
A donation package for victims and a relief package for rescuers has been launched.
Saratoga has been known for presenting many celebrities in recent years, including Mick Jagger, Beyonc மற்றும் and Madonna. Built in 1880 to house shops, the building was converted into a hotel in 1933 and converted into a luxury company in 2005.