Cuba Hotel Massive Explosion Death Toll Rises to 43

The death toll from a massive explosion at a luxury hotel in Havana, Cuba rose to 43 on Tuesday as rescuers continued to search for possible survivors following the tragedy.

According to Milenio, Cuba's Ministry of Health confirmed the latest number of deaths. Reports said all fatalities were Cubans, except for one Spanish tourist. Cuban officials said the 43rd body was found on Tuesday night, CBS News reported.

At least 23 people working at Hotel Saratoga were among the confirmed dead. Roberto Enriquez, a spokesman for the Gaviota tourism firm that operates the hotel, noted that at least three workers remained missing and believed to be buried under the rubble.

Rescuers continued to work around the clock to find more survivors underneath the rubble after the Havana hotel explosion. According to the updated government report, 97 people were injured in the Havana hotel explosion.

At least 17 people remained hospitalized as of Tuesday, while 37 have been discharged. At least six individuals among the hospitalized were reportedly in serious condition, while two were in critical condition.

Cuba President Miguel Diaz-Canel Says Priority Is to Find the Missing at Havana Hotel

Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel tweeted Tuesday that the "priority" continues to be the search for the people who remain missing.

"At the Hotel Saratoga the priority remains to find the missing," Diaz-Canel wrote.

https://twitter.com/DiazCanelB/status/1523985755290451970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Colonel Luis Carlos Guzman, head of the Cuban Fire Department, said they could not tell when the search would be over. But he noted that they wanted to finish the search and rescue operations soon.

"We want it to be as fast as possible, but we cannot violate the established security measures by making a hasty decision," Guzman told Agencia Cubana de Noticias.

According to Guzman, at least three hotel workers are still missing as of Tuesday morning.

On Saturday, Diaz-Canel took to Twitter to pay tribute to the rescue workers doing the search and rescue operations following the Havana hotel explosion. The president described them as the "heroes of these terrible hours."

Havana Hotel Explosion in Cuba

The five-star Hotel Saratoga, which exploded on Friday, was built at the end of the 19th century and became the most important hotel in Havana, Cuba in the 1930s.

Authorities believed that a gas leak might have caused the massive explosion. Citing experts' initial estimates, Enriquez said 80 percent of the hotel was damaged.

The Grupo de Turismo Gaviota SA claimed that their company is also investigating the cause of the explosion.

According to Luis Antonio Torres Iribar, the head of the Communist Party for Havana, at least 38 homes had been affected by the explosion, and 95 people had to be relocated.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Explosion Damages Hotel Saratoga In Cuban Capital - From CBS Miami