MIAMI, United States. — Cuban architect Vladimir Calderón Frías warned that the Saratoga hotel could completely collapse after the explosion suffered this Friday.
In statements offered to CubaNetthe expert pointed out that a tragedy like today’s could happen because the gas supply was carried out inside the building, with the consequent risk that this entailed.
“One of the situations that Eusebio Leal was always told was dangerous was putting a gas bullet inside the building. That bullet was inside one of the technical floors of the building. And, really, that is a bomb”, explained Calderón Frías.
The architect pointed out that the Saratoga, although it was repaired, was not sufficiently reinforced due to its age.
The explosion not only affected the hotel, but also part of the adjoining buildings, something that, according to the specialist, has highlighted the immense risk involved in the construction of hotels for tourism in areas such as Old Havana.
Calderón Frías also made it clear that in the next few hours the building could “completely collapse” due to the damage that the shock wave could have generated on some of the structures that support the hotel.
“The blast wave must have left all the load-bearing walls and columns of the building affected,” he assured.
Shock wave from the explosion reached the Capitol
After the incident, the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in Havana, Luis Antonio Torres Iríbar, declared to the state press that although the hotel exhibited serious damage, no collapsed structures were reported in the building.
In the Capitol of Havana there were glass breakages due to the impact of the shock waves from the explosion in the Saratoga.
Official media report that the recovery work of the hotel will be assumed by the Office of the Historian.
So far, a total of 22 deaths have been recorded. The bodies of the last four were rescued from the rubble in the late afternoon.
Receive information from CubaNet on your cell phone through WhatsApp. Send us a message with the word “CUBA” on the phone +1 (786) 316-2072, You can also subscribe to our electronic newsletter by giving click here.
