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Death toll of Havana hotel explosion rises to 35

APTOPIX Cuba Hotel Explosion
Posted at 1:01 PM, May 09, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-09 13:01:13-04

HAVANA (AP) — More bodies have been pulled from the ruins of a luxury hotel in Cuba's capital, bringing the official death toll from a powerful explosion at the iconic building to 35.

Cuba's Fire Department Chief Luis Guzmán told state TV that three more bodies were recovered overnight as search crews with dogs hunted for hours through debris in the 19th-century structure of the Hotel Saratoga.

The Ministry of Health said later Monday that the toll of dead had risen to 35, with 20 injured patients still hospitalized.

An apparent gas leak at the 96-room, five-star hotel in Old Havana ignited Friday, blowing the outer walls into the busy streets.