110 confirmed dead in Cuban jet crash
THE fiery crash of an ageing Boeing passenger jet on Friday 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, Cuban authorities confirmed.
Flags flew at half-mast in Cuba on Saturday, 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 victims. One black box has been retrieved so far.
Ninety-nine of the passengers killed on the domestic flight to the eastern city of Holguin were Cuban, while three were foreign tourists – two Argentines and a Mexican, authorities told a news conference on Saturday at the Havana airport. Two others were Sahrawi residents in Cuba. The six Mexican crew members aboard the nearly 40-year-old Boeing 737, leased by Cuban flagship carrier Cubana from a small, little-known Mexican company called Damojh, were also killed.
Ten Nazarene pastoral couples returning home after a retreat were among the victims, the Cuban Nazarene Church said.
Three Cuban women survived the crash, but are still in critical condition, the head of the hospital where they are being attended said.
Distressed relatives cried and hugged outside the morgue, where they gave information on loved ones to authorities to aid in the identification process.
Witnesses said one of the engines had caught fire before the plane hit the ground. – Reuters