So far “85 people have been injured, of which 24 are hospitalized, 30 patients have been discharged and 31 have died,” the MINSAP said in a note published on its website.
In its previous balance, it had reported 30 deaths, but fire and rescue brigades continued on Sunday to search for bodies under the rubble of the building located in Old Havana.
“Until they are found, I don’t think these tasks will stop,” the mayor of Old Havana, Alexis Acosta, told reporters this Sunday.
The official explained that “in the basement and in the sub-basement is where the main insurance services for the hotel were located”, including the warehouse, the refrigerators, offices and the laundry. He acknowledged that the amount of debris generated by the explosion “has made it difficult to access all the spaces.”
According to the MINSAP, among the 31 deceased there are four children and adolescents, a pregnant woman and a 29-year-old Spanish tourist, whose husband was also injured during the explosion that partially destroyed the luxury hotel that was being renovated.
Among the 24 hospitalized, three are reported in critical condition, one serious and one in care.
To the multiple messages of condolence and solidarity that Cuba has received since the accident occurred on Friday, one from Pope Francis and another from the King of Spain, Felipe VI, and his wife, Queen Letizia, were added this Sunday.
“Let us also pray for the victims of the explosion that occurred in a large hotel in the capital of #Cuba, Havana. May the Risen Christ guide you to the Father’s house and give comfort to your relatives, ”said the pontiff in his message, reproduced on Twitter by the Cuban Foreign Ministry.
“United with the pain of the friendly Cuban people, we show support and solidarity to the families of the deceased and best wishes for the recovery of the injured,” the Spanish monarchs said on their side in their message, released by local media.
The emblematic five-star hotel had been closed for two years due to the pandemic and was preparing to reopen to the public on May 10. Its first four floors were destroyed.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, at the time the explosion occurred, probably due to a gas leak, 51 workers were inside.
The Saratoga, a building built in 1880 and converted into a hotel in 1993, was known to have hosted a number of celebrities in recent years, including Mick Jagger, Beyoncé and Madonna.
The entrance Death toll from hotel explosion in Cuba rises to 31 was first published in diary TODAY.
