At least nine people were killed Friday and several others were injured in an explosion that destroyed much of the Hotel Saratoga, a luxury hotel in the historic center of Havana, Cuban authorities said.
The blast, which happened around 11 a.m., kicked up a plume of smoke and ash and shocked passing pedestrians in one of the busiest spots in the Cuban capital.
The death toll, initially reported at four, increased as search and rescue efforts continued into the evening. Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed the deaths of nine people and said on the presidential office’s Twitter account that another 40 were injured and receiving medical attention in several hospitals in the Cuban capital.
