Four people have died and various injured after a powerful explosion at a five-star hotel in the downtown area of Cuba’s capital Havana, state media has said.

On Twitter the country’s president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, said the blast was apparently was due to a gas leak.

It said search and rescue efforts were under way for people who might be trapped.

Cuban news agency ACN published photos showing severe damage to the multi-storey Hotel Saratoga and clouds of dust billowing into the sky.

Photos from Granma, the Cuban communist party’s official daily newspaper, showed images of the hotel walls which appeared to have been blown out by the blast.

The 96-room hotel is located in the historic centre of Old Havana and contains bars, restaurants, a spa, a gym and a rooftop pool, according to its website.

A Reuters witness also saw smoke and flames coming from the building.

According to travel agency, The Healthy Holiday Company, deluxe rooms at the hotel can cost between £400-598 per person for a three-night stay.

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