Havana explosion: eight killed and 19 injured in hotel blast

Eight people have been killed and 19 injured after a powerful explosion tore the façade from a hotel in the Cuban capital, sending plumes of dust into the air and leaving rubble strewn across the street in the historic centre of Havana.

Speaking at the scene soon afterwards, the Cuban president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, ruled out a bomb and said that initial investigations suggested that the blast at the Hotel Saratoga was caused by a gas leak.

The hotel was closed to tourists at the time of the explosion, but workers were inside and at least 13 people were missing, according to Cuban officials.

Police and rescue workers flocked to the scene, cordoning off areas and buildings nearby, including the Capitolio building.

Windows in the surrounding streets were blown out by the force of the explosion, and two hours after the explosion, an acrid smell lingered in the air.

Habaneros living in the colonial part of the city are accustomed to the sudden collapse of once-elegant buildings, which are often home to dozens of families but have received little maintenance for decades.

But the thunderous noise the explosion made was something different: within 15 minutes of the explosion, more than 10,000 people had congregated outside the rubble-strewn structure, taking pictures and uploading videos.

The 96-room neo-classical-style hotel was remodeled by a British company after the fall of the Soviet Union and was considered the place to go for visiting government officials and celebrities for many years.

Madonna and Beyoncé have both stayed at the five-star hotel, although recently it had lost some of its shine with the opening of new hotels in Havana.

The hotel had been set for a post-pandemic reopening in four days, according to its Facebook page.