At least 27 people were murdered in an explosion at one of Havana's most opulent hotels. Relatives of the missing in Cuba's capital urgently searched for survivors.

They searched the mortuary and hospitals before returning to the partially collapsed Hotel Saratoga, where they utilized dogs to search for survivors.

Friday's explosion at the 96-room hotel appears to have been caused by a gas leak. The 19th-century building in the Old Havana area did not have any visitors since it was receiving renovations in preparation for its reopening on Tuesday, two years after being closed due to the pandemic.

Dr. Julio Guerra Izquierdo, chief of hospital services for the Ministry of Health, increased the death toll to 27 and the number of injured to 81 on Saturday evening. There were four children and a pregnant mother among the deceased. President of Spain Pedro Sánchez announced through Twitter that a Spanish tourist was among the dead and another was critically injured.

The death of the tourist was confirmed by Cuban authorities, who also reported that her companion was injured. They did not check into the motel, and Minister of Tourism Dalila Gonzalez said that a Cuban-American tourist was also harmed.

During a news conference on Saturday, representatives of Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA, the hotel's owner, stated that 51 hotel employees and two renovation workers were present. Eleven were killed, 13 are still missing, and six were hospitalized.

Gonzalez stated that the reason for the explosion was still being investigated, but early Saturday morning, a giant crane extracted a burnt gas tanker from the hotel's ruins.

"Assumed it was a bomb."

Search and rescue teams worked through the night and into Saturday, using ladders to descend through the debris and twisted metal into the hotel's basement. At the same time, heavy machinery carefully pulled away chunks of the building's façade to provide access. Above, drywall fragments dangled from cables, and desks sat seemingly undisturbed inches from the abyss where the façade of the building had separated.

At least one survivor was discovered in the shattered rubble early on Saturday morning as rescuers employing search dogs scrambled over enormous concrete slabs to look for more. Relatives of the missing lingered at the scene, while others gathered at hospitals treating the injured.

Saturday evening, Governor Reinaldo Garcia Zapata announced that 19 families have reported missing loved ones and that rescue attempts will continue.

Comandante Ramiro Valdes, who fought with Fidel Castro, was informed by Lt. Col. Enrique Pena of the search activities at the site. Pea stated that the presence of individuals had been detected on the first floor and in the basement and that four teams of search canines and their handlers were now conducting their search. He was unaware of whether the victims were alive or dead.

Near the hotel, Cristina Avellar told the Associated Press, "I don't want to leave."

Avellar awaited word of Odalys Barrera, a 57-year-old cashier at the hotel for the past five years. She is the godmother of Barrera's daughters and believes Barrera's daughter to beștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștiiștii

After one day, neighbors were still in shock from the blast.

Guillermo Madan, a 73-year-old retiree who lives just meters from the building but was unharmed, stated, "I thought it was a bomb." The neighborhood resident of three decades was cooking and watching television when he heard the explosion. "My room changed from this location to this one. My neighbor's glass, plates, and everything else were broken."

31-year-old Katerine Marrero was shopping at the time. "As I was leaving the store, I heard the explosion," she stated. Everyone began to flee.

Although no tourists were reported hurt, the explosion is another blow to the vital tourism business of the country.