Neighbors of the building next to the Saratoga hotel could return to their homes in 2025
HAVANA, Oct. 31 Three years will have to pass since the Saratoga Hotel explosion, in May 2022, before the residents of one of the damaged buildings, adjacent to the tourist facility, can return to their homes.It will not be until mid-2025, according to Prime Minister Manuel Marrero, that the residents of Prado 609 return to their homes. “It is a long time, which impacts the lives of these people,” Marrero himself explained in this sense.
The date for completing work to secure the hotel, before beginning reconstruction work, is scheduled for February next year.
In addition, the Baptist Church, which was also heavily damaged by the explosion, will be ready in August 2025, as promised by the government.
A note from Cubadebate summarizes the meeting with Cuban officials, where these dates were determined: “It was reported that, after completing the security of the neighborhood building in February, reconstruction works will begin.
According to plans, the investment will be ready in May 2025, with an executive project that was discussed with the resident families, who are regularly informed about the progress of the work.”
Beyond the destruction of a large part of the hotel, the shock wave affected 17 other structures in the area, such as the Capitol, at least four residential buildings, a school, said Baptist church and the Martí theater.
In the tragic event, a total of 47 people, including several workers at the site, died and another 80 were injured.
Let us remember that this occurred four days before the reopening to the public of the luxurious five-star hotel, owned by Grupo de Gestión Empresarial S.A. (GAESA) of the Armed Forces since it was closed for two years due to the pandemic.
Such an explosion caused 22 affected families to be housed in the Las Brisas hotel, in the Pan American Village tourist complex, in Havana.
Just 48 hours after the accident, 62 people were already being accommodated in said hotel and other victims were welcomed by family and friends in their homes, residing in the buildings of Prado 609, Prado 617, Zulueta 512 and Zulueta 508.
