An explosion at a luxury hotel in Cuba killed 22 people

A suspected gas leak has killed 22 people in Cuba.

The Hotel Saratoga in Havana was destroyed by a massive explosion yesterday.

The luxury hotel, which has hosted the likes of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, was being renovated at the time.

The reopening was planned for Tuesday.

Rescuers worked throughout the night to find survivors beneath the rubble and debris.

Today the death toll from the blast was confirmed at 22 – a pregnant woman is said to be among the victims.

Dozens of people were also injured and taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Due to renovations at the Hotel Saratoga, there were no guests in the building at the time of the explosion.

A natural gas leak is believed to have caused the explosion.

Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel described the blast as “a very unfortunate accident”.

He told Cuban television that 50 adults and children had been hospitalized.

Last night, relatives of people missing after the blast gathered outside the former hotel awaiting news.

Ms Avellar told reporters she was trying to locate Odalys Barrera, a 57-year-old cashier who worked at the hotel.

She said she is the godmother to Ms Barrera’s daughters and considers them “like a sister”.

The identities of those who died in the blast have not yet been released.

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: “We are aware of an explosion in Havana and are in contact with the Cuban authorities to ascertain further details.

“The embassy remains available to assist UK nationals affected by the blast.”

Although no tourists were injured, the blast is the latest blow to the country’s tourism industry.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic kept tourists away from Cuba, the country was already struggling with former US President Donald Trump’s sanctions and keeping the Biden administration in place.

The sanctions limited US tourist visits to the islands and remittances from Cubans in the US to their families in the country.

And before the war, almost a third of tourists arriving in Cuba came from Russia.

The 96-room Hotel Saratoga in the historic center of Old Havana was remodeled after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

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