MIAMI, United States.- Among the fatalities in the accident that occurred last Friday morning in Havana, when a gas leak caused the Hotel Saratoga to explode, was Cristina López-Cerón Urgarte, a 28-year-old Spanish woman from from Viveiro (Lugo), who was visiting the island with her boyfriend César.
According to a report from the Spanish media The Digital NewsCristina and César, who is seriously injured, arrived on Thursday on vacation on the island and were staying at a hotel near the Saratoga, where the deadly explosion took place the next day and which has been claimed 35 lives so far.
The report assures that the two Spaniards were walking next to the luxury hotel when the explosion occurred. Cristina died as a result of the injuries. César was seriously injured and has had to undergo surgery for several fractures.
“Cris Lo, a native of Viveiro, graduated in Economics from the University of Compostela and was dedicated to the banking sector. He had completed his studies with a master’s degree in Banking and Finance at the Escuelas Business School in Oleiros, La Coruña. She was the brightest student in her class,” the note reads.
According to various media cited by La Noticia Digital, the couple had landed on the island to celebrate César’s recently completed 30th birthday.
The accident
A gas leak caused the hotel to explode on Friday, which had been closed throughout the pandemic and was in preparation for its reopening. The entire facade of the building collapsed due to the explosion, and several adjacent buildings were even affected by the blast wave.
Inside the Hotel Saratoga there were a few workers, but the explosion affected many passers-by, since the tourist facility is located in one of the busiest areas of the Cuban capital.
The report also explained that the Spanish diplomatic staff in Havana is facilitating the procedures for the repatriation of Cristina’s body, and César is in the ICU, whose medical staff says that it is still early to know his evolution.
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