1 injured in Havana hotel blast

One person was injured in an explosion Monday at a hotel in Havana, local media reported.

The Caribbean Hotel, located in historic Old Havana, was evacuated after the explosion caused by a gas leak, though there was no structural damage to the property or surrounding buildings, said the reports.

The blast occurred in a fifth-floor room that was being remodeled. There were no guests at the time, said Carlos Manuel Cabanes, director of the state-run hotel operator Islazul, which manages the Caribbean.

Firefighters, health personnel and police rushed to the scene and closed surrounding streets to traffic while authorities investigated the incident.

In May 2022, an explosion caused by a gas leak claimed 46 lives at the landmark Hotel Saratoga in Old Havana.