Rescuers search blown-out Havana hotel, at least 26 dead
STORY: The blast at the boutique Hotel Saratoga seriously damaged two adjoining upscale apartment buildings and inflicted lighter damage to 17 structures within a two-block radius.
Debris fell on pedestrians in the heavily travelled area and glass and debris went flying at a nearby grammar school.
Authorities said 50 adults and 14 children were also injured, and one of the dead was a Spanish tourist.
According to the authorities and local media, rescuers were working to get to a passageway to the basement in hopes there were survivors, but progress was slow as engineers had to ensure the stability of what remained of the building.
The hotel, housed in a more than century-old building, had been closed and only workers were inside at the time of the explosion, state-run TV said.
