Hotel Saratoga explosion

Last updated

Hotel Saratoga explosion
Date6 May 2022
Venue Hotel Saratoga
Location Havana, La Habana, Cuba
Coordinates 23°08′01″N82°21′29″W / 23.13361°N 82.35806°W / 23.13361; -82.35806
Cause Gas leak [1]
Deaths47
Non-fatal injuries52

On 6 May 2022, Hotel Saratoga, a luxury hotel in the Old Havana municipality in the city of Havana, Cuba, suffered a suspected gas explosion that damaged large portions of the building as well as surrounding infrastructure. [2] [3] 47 people died and 52 were injured. [4] The hotel was undergoing renovations and there were no guests; however, there were fifty-one workers inside. [5]

Contents

Background

The historic five-star Hotel Saratoga is located at the intersection of Paseo del Prado and Dragones in the Cuban capital, in front of the Fuente de la India. The building that became the hotel was initially three-stories and built with a tobacco warehouse on the ground floor, apartments on the second, and hotel rooms on the third floor in 1880. The building was commissioned by wealthy Spanish merchant Eugenio Palacios in 1879 and was first located at Monte Street. The central location of the building made it a favorite among international visitors, and in 1933 the building was remodeled as a hotel and moved to its current location.

In the 1960s, following the Cuban Revolution, the hotel was nationalized by the new communist government and later became a low-class housing facility, before being closed due to its deplorable conditions.

Hotel Saratoga in 2014 Hotel Saratoga, Havana, Cuba.jpg
Hotel Saratoga in 2014

In 1996, the building was transferred to a newly created joint venture company Hotel Saratoga S.A., co-owned by Habaguanex S.A., the commercial arm of the City Historian's Office, and an international confederation of investors. Part of the original building was then demolished, leaving only the façade on the three street fronts. The building was reconstructed with seven floors and two basement levels and was reopened in 2005. [6] [7]

The hotel often hosted prominent international politicians and celebrities, but the country's vital tourism sector had been struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on both national and international travel. At the time, the building was undergoing renovations and populated entirely by workers, fifty-one of whom were inside at the time. [8] The hotel was set to reopen on 10 May 2022. [9]

Explosion

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg USA Today clip of the damaged hotel on YouTube
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Infobae video moments after the explosion on YouTube

The hotel was struck by a suspected gas explosion from a gas leak. The explosion destroyed entire sections of the building and damaged nearby buildings such as El Capitolio, Teatro Martí, and the Calvary Baptist Church. The façade of the building was almost entirely destroyed, and parts of it collapsed onto the street, crushing cars and people as well as sending debris flying through the air. As not all of the building was destroyed, remaining rooms could be seen damaged from the street. [2]

Casualties

99 people were reported as injured, of which 52 were discharged and 47 had died. [4] All but one of the dead were Cuban citizens, while the other was a Spanish tourist. Among the dead were four teenagers, a pregnant woman and a child. On 10 May it was reported that twenty-three of the 51 people who were working at the hotel at the time were killed, and three workers remained missing. [10] The bodies of all the missing people were later recovered.

Aftermath

Emergency personnel from Cuba and organizations like the Red Cross worked to excavate the site, locate survivors, and recover bodies. Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel visited the site on the same day as the explosion and visited survivors at Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, where some blast victims were taken for treatment. Messages of support came from such figures as Marcelo Ebrard, the Mexican minister of foreign affairs, [11] and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. [12]

The First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba said that 38 homes had been affected and that the neighboring building would be demolished. [10]

On 13 May 2022, Cuban authorities concluded their search and rescue and all operations on the scene. [13] The Cuban president announced an official period of mourning from 06.00 on 13 May to 12.00 at night on 14 May. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Havana</span> Capital and largest city of Cuba

Havana is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. It is the most populous city, the largest by area, and the second largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean region. The population in 2002 was 2,137,847 inhabitants, and its area is 728.26 km2 (281.18 sq mi) for the capital city side and 8,475.57 km2 for the metropolitan zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Clara, Cuba</span> City in Villa Clara, Cuba

Santa Clara is the capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It is centrally located in the province and Cuba. Santa Clara is the fifth-most populous Cuban city, with a population of nearly 245,959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vedado</span> Urban neighborhood in the city of Havana, Cuba

Vedado is a central business district and urban neighborhood in the city of Havana, Cuba. Bordered on the east by Calzada de Infanta and Central Havana, and on the west by the Alemendares River and Miramar / Playa district, Vedado is a more modern part of the city than the areas to the east, developed in the first half of the 20th century, during the Republic period. In 2016 it was described by one commentator as the city's "most affluent" section. The main street running east to west is Calle 23, also known as "La Rampa". The northern edge of the district is the waterfront seawall known as the Malecón, a famous and popular place for social gatherings in the city. The area popularly referred to as 'Vedado' consists of the wards of Vedado, Rampa, Vedado-Malecón and Carmelo, all in the municipality of Plaza de la Revolución.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Havana</span> First Subdivision of Havana in Cuba

Old Havana is the city-center (downtown) and one of the 15 municipalities forming Havana, Cuba. It has the second highest population density in the city and contains the core of the original city of Havana. The positions of the original Havana city walls are the modern boundaries of Old Havana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Capitol of Cuba</span> Former seat of the Congress of Cuba

The National Capitol of Cuba, also known as Capitolio Nacional de La Habana, and often simply referred to as El Capitolio(The Capitol), is a public edifice in Havana, the capital of Cuba. The building was commissioned by Cuban president Gerardo Machado and built from 1926 to 1929 under the direction of Eugenio Rayneri Piedra. It is located on the Paseo del Prado, Dragones, Industria, and San José streets in the exact center of Havana.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Cuba since 27 September 2022 after a majority of voters approved the legalization of same-sex marriage in a referendum two days prior. The Constitution of Cuba prohibited same-sex marriage until 2019, and in May 2019 the government announced plans to legalize same-sex marriage. A draft family code containing provisions allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt was approved by the National Assembly of People's Power on 21 December 2021. The text was under public consultation until 6 June 2022, and was approved by the Assembly on 22 July 2022. The measure was approved by two-thirds of voters in a referendum held on 25 September 2022. President Miguel Díaz-Canel signed the new family code into law on 26 September, and it took effect upon publication in the Official Gazette the following day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Havana</span> Historical account of the capital city of Cuba

Havana was founded in the sixteenth century displacing Santiago de Cuba as the island's most important city when it became a major port for Atlantic shipping, particularly the Spanish treasure fleet.

Monument to the Victims of the USS <i>Maine</i> (Havana) Monument to the Victims of the USS Maine, ca. 1930 in Havana, Cuba

The Monument to the Victims of the USS Maine was built in 1925 on the Malecón boulevard at the end of Línea Calle, in the Vedado neighborhood of Havana, Cuba.

<i>Fuente de la India</i>

Fuente de la India is a fountain by Giuseppe Gaggini in Havana, Cuba, at the south extreme of Paseo del Prado, about 100 m south of El Capitolio, between Monte and Dragones Streets. The figure represents the Indian woman "Habana" in whose honor Havana was named.

The following is a timeline of the history of Havana, Cuba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miguel Díaz-Canel</span> First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and 17th president of Cuba

Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez is a Cuban politician and engineer who is the 8th and current First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba since 2021, and as well as the 17th President of Cuba since 2019. As First Secretary, he is the most powerful person in the Cuban government. Díaz-Canel succeeds the brothers Fidel and Raúl Castro, making him the first non-Castro leader of Cuba since the revolution, and as well as the first non-Castro head of state since 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba</span> Highest-standing official of the Communist Party of Cuba

The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba is the top leader of Cuba. The First Secretary is the highest office within the Communist Party of Cuba as well as ranking first in the Politburo, the highest decision-making body in Cuba, which makes the office holder the most powerful person in the Cuban government. In communist states the First or General Secretary of the Communist Party is typically the de facto leader of the country and a more powerful position than state offices such as President or Prime Minister, when those positions are held by different individuals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuba–Mexico relations</span> Bilateral relations

The nations of Cuba and Mexico have had uninterrupted diplomatic relations since their establishment in 1902. Both nations are members of the Association of Caribbean States, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Latin American Integration Association, Organization of Ibero-American States, and the United Nations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cubana de Aviación Flight 972</span> Aircraft crash in Cuba, May 2018

Cubana de Aviación Flight 972 was a scheduled domestic flight operated by Mexican charter airline Global Air on behalf of Cubana de Aviación, from José Martí International Airport, Havana, Cuba, to Frank País Airport in Holguín, Cuba. On 18 May 2018, the 39-year-old Boeing 737-201 Adv. operating the route crashed shortly after takeoff, near Santiago de las Vegas, 19 kilometres from Havana city centre. Of those on board, 112 died and one passenger survived with critical injuries. There were initially four survivors, but three of them later died at a local hospital. Most of the passengers on board were Cuban nationals, although the crew was entirely Mexican.

Events in the year 2020 in Cuba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Cuban protests</span> July 2021 protests against the Cuban government

A series of protests against the Cuban government and the Communist Party of Cuba began on 11 July 2021, triggered by a shortage of food and medicine and the government's response to the resurgent COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba. The protests were the largest anti-government demonstrations since the Maleconazo in 1994. Protesters' motivations included resentment at the Cuban government's authoritarianism and curbs on civil liberties, the government's COVID-19 pandemic lockdown rules, the government's failure to follow through on promised economic and political reforms. Protesters were also angered by the poor state of the Cuban economy. Cuban dissidents have placed the responsibility on the government's economic policies and human rights abuses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Havana tornado</span> Extreme weather event in Cuba

On the night of 27 January 2019, at 20:20 CST, an unusually violent and destructive tornado ripped through the Cuban capital Havana. The EF4 tornado toppled trees and utility poles, destroyed cars and sent debris flying as it passed through the city. According to the Cuban Institute of Meteorology, the tornado was produced by a cold front that struck the nation's north coast, but "there were no indications of the anticipated existence of any cloud that fulfilled the characteristics of a classic supercell, nor a minisupercell, and that would explain the development of the intense tornado". At least eight people died and more than 190 were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hotel Saratoga</span> Hotel in Havana, Cuba

The Hotel Saratoga was a historic hotel located on the Paseo del Prado, in Old Havana near the Fuente de la India. Built in 1880 as a warehouse, it was remodeled into a hotel in 1933. It was further remodeled in 2005 and reopened as a luxury hotel. The hotel was largely destroyed by a gas explosion on 6 May 2022, which killed forty-seven people.

This article covers events in the year 2022 in Cuba.

References

  1. ↑ de Córdoba, José (6 May 2022). "Cuba Hotel Explosion: At Least Nine Dead in Blast at Havana's Hotel Saratoga". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Death toll from explosion at Havana hotel rises to 40". AP NEWS . 9 May 2022. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  3. ↑ Rodriguez, Andrea (8 May 2022). "Havana Hotel Death Toll Rises to 30 as Dogs Search for Survivors". TIME . Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  4. 1 2 Minsap, Redacción (29 June 2022). "Información actualizada sobre el estado de los lesionados en el accidente del hotel Saratoga" [Update on the status of those injured in the Saratoga hotel accident]. Ministerio de Salud Pública (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  5. ↑ "Desperate search for survivors in Cuba hotel explosion as death toll rises to at least 27". www.cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  6. ↑ Iglesias Sánchez, Zenaida (6 May 2022). "Hotel "Saratoga"". Habana Radio (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 May 2022.
  7. ↑ "History | Saratoga Hotel Havana". Saratoga Hotel. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "Hotel Saratoga Havana explosion death toll climbs to 35, including 4 minors and a pregnant woman". CBS News. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  9. ↑ Antón Rodriguez, Susana (6 May 2022). "Ministro del Turismo: «El hotel no estaba en funcionamiento»".
  10. 1 2 "The death toll rises to 42 after an explosion at a hotel in Cuba". NPR. Associated Press. 10 May 2022. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  11. ↑ "Hotel Saratoga: At least 30 dead after a massive explosion destroyed a hotel in Havana, Cuba". News Digest Blog. 9 May 2022. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  12. ↑ "Su Majestad La Reina Elizabeth Il envió un mensaje de condolencias al presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez y al pueblo de #Cuba tras la explosión en el hotel #Saratoga". Facebook (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  13. ↑ Vicent, Mauricio (13 May 2022). "Cuba concluye las tareas de rescate tras la explosión del hotel Saratoga con un saldo de 46 muertos" [Cuba concludes rescue efforts after Saratoga hotel explosion leaves 46 people dead]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  14. ↑ "Decreta el Presidente de la República de Cuba duelo oficial". Granma.cu (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.