World News | Death Toll of Havana Hotel Explosion Rises to 35

Havana, May 9 (AP) More bodies were pulled from the ruins of a luxury hotel in Cuba's capital on Monday, bringing the official death toll of 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.

Also Read | Sri Lanka Crisis: Ruling Party MP, Personal Security Officer Killed in Violence.

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

The 96-room, five-star hotel in Old Havana, was preparing to reopen after being closed for two years when an apparent gas leak ignited, blowing the outer walls into the busy, midmorning streets just a block from the country's Capitol building on Friday.

Also Read | China Bans Minors From Live Streaming on Social Media To Protect Their Physical, Mental Health.

Several nearby structures also were damaged, including the historic Marti Theater and the Calvary Baptist Church, headquarters for the denomination in western Cuba.

Authorities said the cause of the explosion at the hotel owned by Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA was still under investigation. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)