According to the information, four minors, a pregnant woman and a foreigner – a Spanish tourist – were among the dead. The fatalities were between 10 and 77 years old. President Miguel Díaz-Canel declared national mourning from 6 a.m. on Friday (local time) to midnight on Saturday.
On the morning of May 6th, a powerful explosion had largely destroyed the Hotel Saratoga. According to initial findings, a gas tank had exploded just as liquid gas was being delivered. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the well-known five-star hotel a few steps from the Capitol has been closed for about two years. It was scheduled to reopen on Tuesday of this week.
The lower three floors of the neoclassical building were completely devastated. The force of the explosion tore the facade away, and the destroyed rooms could be seen from the street. Several other buildings in the area were also damaged, including a theatre, a school and a church.