The mourning period, during which the flags will be lowered at half-mast, will be held by the island state for 42 hours, from Friday dawn to Saturday midnight.
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Luis Carlos Guzmán, the commander of the Cuban fire brigade, informed the journalists about the last victim. A total of 45 people, including four children and a pregnant woman, were killed in a hotel explosion in downtown Havana. All the victims are Cubans except for one tourist from Spain. According to the Cuban Ministry of Health, dozens of people were injured, 16 of whom remain in hospital. Several of them are still in critical condition.
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According to the authorities, the explosion of May 6 caused a gas leak when filling the tanks in the hotel. The explosion demolished the first four floors of the six-story building and the façade, and damaged buildings in the area, including the theater, primary school and church.
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Hotel Saratoga was considered one of the most luxurious accommodations in the city. It was built in 1880 when it served as a business center, and the hotel was renovated and converted into a hotel in 1933.
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