‘LOSS OF LIFE’

Death Toll Rises to 27 After Explosion Rocks Hotel in Havana

Investigators report that a gas leak caused the explosion and damaged 23 surrounding buildings, including an apartment facility where 15 homes were destroyed.

Cuban authorities report that the death toll has climbed to 27 after an explosion rocked the Hotel Saratoga in Havana on Friday. Another 80 people were injured in the blast. The opulent 96-room hotel was undergoing renovations as it prepared to reopen Tuesday after closing during the pandemic. Investigators report that a gas leak caused the explosion and damaged 23 surrounding buildings, including an apartment facility where 15 homes were destroyed. Cuban state news reported that the victims include a pregnant woman, a tourist from Spain, and at least four minors. Relatives and friends of those still missing have congregated at the site as responders clear the rubble, where at least one survivor was found Saturday morning, NBC News reports. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel took to Twitter to grieve the tragedy: “all of the destruction, but above all the loss of life, and also the injured people.”