HAVANA — Firefighters are searching the rubble of the Saratoga Hotel in the Cuban capital, Havana, after a huge blast ripped through the building on Friday.

At least 31 people were killed in the explosion, which is thought to have been caused by a gas tanker parked outside the hotel.

The Saratoga is one of Cuba's most exclusive five-star hotels. The local mayor said that the search would continue until all victims had been located.

The 19th-Century hotel in Havana's old town had been closed for renovations and most of the victims were construction workers and staff.

Emergency personnel with sniffer dogs prepare to search for survivors at the Saratoga Hotel two days after it suffered an explosion, in Havana, Cuba.

Sniffer dogs have been deployed in the hope of finding survivors in the building's basement.

The state-run company, which manages the hotel said 11 of its employees had died in the explosion and 13 remained unaccounted for.

State TV said there was hope that some people could have survived the blast in the building's basement but officials said they feared there could also be more bodies among the ruins.

Four children, a pregnant woman and a 29-year-old Spanish tourist who was walking past the building are among the victims.

Scores were also injured and 24 remained in hospital on Sunday. The first four floors of the landmark were completely gutted and its façade was blown off.

The hotel is located opposite the government's old congressional building. The explosion happened in the late morning on Friday local time. An official said the incident occurred while a gas tank was being refilled by a tanker lorry.

Locals said the force of the blast was such that they thought it was an earthquake.

The hotel, which in the past has hosted celebrities such as Madonna, Beyoncé and Mick Jagger, had been due to reopen this week. — BBC