Rescuers are still looking for survivors under the rubble. The rescue operation now focuses specifically on the basement of the building. The head of the local fire service said on Cuban television on Monday that rescue efforts are in a difficult phase due to the accumulation of the rubble and the danger of collapse.
The hotel, one of the best-known in the city, was closed due to the corona crisis but would reopen in a few days. Only workers and employees of the hotel were in the building at the time of the explosion. According to the Ministry of Tourism, 51 people were in the property at the time of the blast. According to relatives of the victims, about twelve or thirteen people are still trapped under the rubble.
The luxurious five-star Saratoga hotel is located on the edge of the Old Town near the Capitolio, the old parliament building. Mick Jagger, Beyoncé and Madonna, among others, have stayed at the hotel in the past.