Spanish woman dead in Havana hotel explosion

Havana, May 8 The body of a 26-year-old Spanish woman has found at the site of the explosion that occurred in Havana's Hotel Saratoga, the Cuban Ministry of Tourism announced.

Minister of Tourism Juan Carlos Garcia said that the explosion took place on Friday during the unloading of a tanker truck carrying about 10,000 litres of liquefied gas, reports Xinhua news agency.

A Spanish man was injured in the blast, according to Cuban tourist group Gaviota, which operates the hotel.

Official figures showed that at least 26 people were killed and 80 injured in the explosion.

A total of 46 people, including 15 children, are currently receiving treatment in hospital.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Saturday visited the explosion site, where rescue efforts continued as firefighters and emergency workers, equipped with heavy machinery, were removing the rubble and searching for survivors.

According to Cuban state TV, 19 people are still missing.

Located opposite Cuba's National Capitol building, the five-star hotel was preparing to reopen on Tuesday as part of the country's bid to revive tourism.