Cuba Boeing Crash: 110 People Killed, Officials Identify 20 Bodies
The plane was flying to Holguin and was carrying 113 people on board.
Cuban authorities said the fiery crash of an ageing Boeing passenger jet on Friday, 18 May, shortly after takeoff from Havana had killed 110 of the 113 on board, making it the Caribbean island's deadliest air disaster in nearly 30 years.
Flags flew at half-mast in Cuba on Saturday, 19 May, marking the start of two days of national mourning, while authorities worked to recover evidence from the site of the crash and to identify the crash victims.
- A Boeing 737 plane crashed after take off from the Havana airport
- 105 passengers as well as nine crew members were onboard
- Fifteen have been identified so far and the black box retrieved, officials said
Cubans Mourn Plane Crash Victims, Officials Identify 20 Bodies
At morgues and in church services, tearful Cubans on Sunday, 20 May, mourned loved ones who died in the country's worst air disaster in three decades.
Island authorities said they have identified 20 bodies and recovered all human remains from the field next to Havana's international airport where a passenger jet crashed Friday, killing 110 people.
Cuba Declares Period of Mourning
Cuba declared an official period of mourning from 6 am on 19 May to 12 pm on 20 May, during which the flag would be flown at half-mast outside state and military institutions.
Former Cuban president Raul Castro, who now heads the country's ruling Communist Party, offered his condolences to the families of those who died in the crash as he recovered from a hernia operation, state media reported.
Passengers on the Plane Were Mostly Cuban
The Boeing commercial airplane that crashed shortly after take-off from the Cuban capital Havana on Friday included five foreign passengers plus foreign crew, state-run website Cubadebate said.
Most of the passengers on the domestic flight were Cubans, it said. Over 100 people were killed, with three seriously injured survivors being treated in hospital, officials have said.
Investigation Underway
Cuba's president Diaz-Canel has made a statement saying that the fire has been put out at the site of the accident. He added that the authorities are identifying bodies and have opened an investigation into the accident.
Three Possible Survivors, Reports Cuban Media
Cuban state-run media has reported that there are atleast three possible survivors of the deadly accident, adding that there were five children aboard the flight.
The number of passengers onboard the plane has been updated to 105, plus the nine crew members. Earlier media reports had stated that there were 104 passengers aboard the flight.
Airline Notorious for Problems
The state-run Cubana airline is notorious for its frequent delays and cancellations, which it claims is because of the non-availability of parts due to the US trade embargo on the island. Mechanical problems in recent months have forced the airline to take many of its planes out of service.
Just Thursday, Cuban First Vice President Salvador Valdes Mesa met with Cubana officials to discuss improvements to its service.
Plane Heavily Damaged, Burnt
The heavily damaged plane came to rest in a yuca field where firefighters sprayed the charred fuselage with hoses. Wreckage was strewn over the area.
The fire had been put out, and blackened parts of the fuselage could be seen.
Flight Operated by Cubana de Aviacion
The aircarft was reportedly operated by Cubana de Aviacion and had been leased from a Mexican airline that operates under the legal name Aerolineas Damojh, SA de CV.
High Number of Casualties Feared
The number of casualties was not immediately known, but Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, visiting the site of the crash, told Agence France Presse: "It appears there is a high number of victims."
A worker at Havana's Calixto Garcia hospital told Reuters that three victims of the accident had arrived so far. One had died from burns and other trauma, and the other two were in a serious state.
Cuban officials have said that there are three survivors, but have not yet given an official death toll. They have also not explicitly mentioned that everyone else on board perished.
Plane Was Carrying 113 People On Board
According to reports, the plane was carrying 104 passengers. Apart from the 104 passengers, there were nine crew members aboard the flight.
Ambulances and firefighters were rushed to the scene and rescue operations are currently underway.
Flight tracking websites indicated the flight was CU972, departing Havana at 11 am (1500 GMT).
Boeing 737 Crashes After Taking Off From Havana Airport
A Boeing 737 plane crashed on Friday, 18 May, shortly after taking off from Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, Cuban state-run website Cubadebate reported.
"It crashed between the locality of Boyeros and the village of Santiago de La Vegas," state-run TV said in its midday news broadcast, referring to an area some 20 km south of Havana.
The plane was a domestic flight going to Holguin, when it crashed in a large field in a neighbourhood near the airport in southern Havana.
Images on TV and social media showed a large plume of black smoke above the airport.
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