An explosion at one of Havana's most luxurious hotels killed at least 26 people. A natural gas leak was the apparent cause of blast at the 96-room hotel. The 19th-century structure in the Old Havana neighborhood did not have any guests at the time because it was undergoing renovations ahead of a planned reopening after being closed for two years during the pandemic.
The dead included four children and a pregnant woman. The cause of the blast was still under investigation, but a large crane hoisted a charred gas tanker from the hotel's rubble.
Although no tourists were reported injured, the explosion is another blow to the country’s crucial tourism industry.
The hotel was renovated in 2005 as part of the Cuban government’s revival of Old Havana and is owned by the Cuban military’s tourism business arm, Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA.