Death toll rises to 22 after explosion rips through £137-a-night five-star hotel in Cuba following gas leak

TWENTY-TWO people have been killed and over 70 have been hospitalised after a huge explosion ripped through a popular hotel in Cuba. A desperate search for survivors is still ongoing after a gas leak caused a blast which obliterated The Hotel Saratoga in Havana on Friday. AFPThe Hotel Saratoga in Havana has been obliterated by the powerful blast[/caption] Hotel SaratogaThe famous five-star hotel was set to reopen in the next few days before the tragedy[/caption] Guests reported hearing something that sounded “like a bomb” before the eruption tore through the 19th-century building. It is believed a gas tanker which was parked outside the hotel ignited, causing an explosion which destroyed several floors of the building. At least 22 people are dead and a further 74 have been hospitalised after the explosion, according to Cuban officials. At the time, reports claimed that some holidaymakers are still trapped on the top floor as the five-star hotel crumbles. MORE CUBA NEWS DEVASTATING BLAST Eight people killed after huge explosion rips through popular Cuban hotel TUI GOOD TUI sale slashes £250 off couples beach holidays in May SPLIT Who is Cory Booker's ex-girlfriend Rosario Dawson? PUZZLING ILLNESS Hostile power NOT responsible for Havana Syndrome despite mystery cases VLAD'S BIG 'BLUFF' Putin wants to 'scare US' with threat to set up military bases in Cuba LEGENDS NEVER DIE How old was Tupac when he died and when is his birthday? Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel had already ruled out a bomb after visiting the site of the blast on Friday. He instead suggested that initial investigations pointed to the cause of the blast being a gas leak. The dead included a pregnant woman and a child according to official reports. Locals have shared an array of harrowing videos of the scene on the ground, providing a terrifying insight into the devastation. Most read in The Sun BLACKMAIL PLOT England footie ace in £30k blackmail plot after bedding £150 trans escort 'NO-BRAINER' Gareth Bale told he must make contact with Cardiff if he wants transfer BLING IT ON Hamilton threatens to PULL OUT of first-ever Miami GP due to SECRET piercing OLE BE BACK Solskjaer ‘rejected Prem offer after Man Utd axe but now wants dugout return’ MEGGING A MOVE Meghan & Harry respond minutes after Queen bans them from balcony at Jubilee CHECK NOW TUI issues holiday warning for Brits heading abroad this summer The walking wounded are desperately try to find safety while reports suggest Cubans have been heroically saving victims from under the mountains of rubble. Incredible images show the structure of the once-grand hotel has been blown apart, as smoke and dust chokes the air. The historic hotel was set for a post-pandemic reopening in four days. It now lies in ruins, with much of its outer wall torn off. Police and the fire service have begun searching for victims as hundreds of tourists and locals stared in awe. Photographer Michel Figueroa said he had been “thrown to the ground” by the explosion as he walked along the street. The adjacent buildings were also ravaged by the powerful explosion, with one witness saying it caused “buildings for several blocks” to shake. Concerns were also raised for children who attend the school located next door to the hotel, but it was confirmed they had been evacuated. Buses, cars and other vehicles parked outside were also wiped out. Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard also wrote in a tweet: “Our solidarity to the victims and those affected as well as the people of that dear fraternal nation.” The Hotel Saratoga, situated in Havana’s old town, boasts 96 rooms and a rooftop pool. Read More on The Sun DICTATOR FOILED Putin's £500m superyacht SEIZED after we revealed sickening luxury onboard BLACKMAIL PLOT England footie ace in £30k blackmail plot after bedding £150 trans escort The building was originally erected in 1880 for warehouses before being remodeled as a hotel in 1933. It then re-opened in 2005 and has become a popular choice for holidaymakers visiting Cuba. AFPThe explosion caused widespread devastation[/caption] AFPSurrounding vehicles were obliterated by the blast[/caption] AFPLocals watched in horror as the rescue operation began[/caption] AFPThe search for survivors underneath the rubble is still underway[/caption] Most read in News DICTATOR FOILED Putin's £500m superyacht SEIZED after we revealed sickening luxury onboard VLAD THE FAILURE I know Putin’s generals fear he's DYING so won’t obey orders to nuke West KEIR FEAR Keir Starmer WILL be investigated by cops over 'beergate' lockdown-breaking bash SHIP BLAST Putin’s new flagship on FIRE in missile strike near Snake Island, Ukraine claims TIPSY KING People say my Tyson Fury tattoo looks NOTHING like him - but I love it LIGHT FRIGHT I sleep in my SHOWER as mysterious laser light beams through my house daily