Deadly explosion at Havana’s Saratoga Hotel

HAVANA (CNN) – Police and fire rescuers are combing through rubble for survivors after an explosion late Friday (May 6) morning destroyed a hotel in Havana, Cuba, killing at least 22 people and injuring at least 64.

A gas leak is thought to be the cause of the explosion at Hotel Saratoga, according to the Cuban Presidential Office, who said that more details would follow.

“Everything indicates that the explosion was caused by an accident,” the Cuban Presidential Office said in a tweet. According to preliminary data, a child and a pregnant woman were among those who died, it said. The presidency also said 64 people have been hospitalized for injuries, including 14 minors.

Cuban state TV said there are potential survivors trapped in the basement of the destroyed hotel.

Witnesses described a “massive blast,” which appeared to destroy buses and cars outside the hotel in the center of the city.