The five-star Hotel Saratoga is heavily damaged after an explosion in Old Havana, Cuba, Friday, May 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
Cuba Hotel Explosion
HAVANA (AP) — A powerful explosion apparently caused by a gas leak has blown away much of the outer walls from a five-star hotel in the heart of Cuba’s capital, and officials report at least nine people have died and 40 injured. But no tourists were lodged at the 96-room Hotel Saratoga because it was undergoing renovations. That’s according to Havana Gov. Reinaldo García Zapata, speaking to the Communist Party newspaper Granma. Officials say about a dozen people are missing and searchers are hunting for anyone trapped. A school next door was evacuated after the blast and no pupils were reported hurt.
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