Havana explosion: 26 killed and 74 treated in hospital after hotel blast

Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel says explosion at Hotel Saratoga appears to have been caused by a gas leak

At least 26 people have been killed and a further 74 have been treated in hospital after a powerful explosion tore the facade from a hotel in the Cuban capital, sending plumes of dust into the air and leaving rubble strewn across the street in the historic centre of Havana.

Speaking at the scene soon afterwards, the Cuban president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, ruled out a bomb and said the blast at the Hotel Saratoga appeared to have been caused by a gas leak.