Cuba: The cause of the blast at the Havana hotel was not known.
Havana:
Four people were killed and 13 reported missing after a powerful explosion ripped through a hotel under refurbishment in central Havana Friday, a local official said.
The presidency, in a tweet, quoted Havana Communist Party official Luis Antonio Torres Iribar as confirming four deaths while “13 people remain missing.”
Shortly after 11:00 am, a cloud of dust and smoke billowed from the Saratoga Hotel after the blast that ripped off parts of the facade. The cause of the blast was not known.
AFP reporters witnessed rescuers at the scene going through the debris.
At least two ambulances and five fire trucks rushed to the hotel, and police cordoned off the area, dispersing people who swarmed to the site after hearing the blast.
According to the website of the Saratoga Hotel, it is a five star establishment with 96 rooms, two bars, two restaurants, a spa and gym.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)