International

Cuba Plane Crash: Over 100 Dead After Boeing 737 Crashes In Havana

Darpan News Desk, 18 May, 2018 05:21 PM

A Boeing 737 domestic passenger plane, with 104 passengers including five children and nine crew members from Havana to Holguin, came down shortly after takeoff.

Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel said there are three survivors, all women, who are in critical condition, reported news agency Reuters. Rescue operations are underway at the site; the fire has been put out and authorities are trying to identify the bodies.

Boeing, in a statement, said it was apprised of the crash and was closely monitoring the situation. According to flight tracker, the aircraft was CU972, which departed from Havana at 11 am local time.

Firefighters were trying to extinguish its smoldering remains. Government officials including President Miguel Diaz-Canel rushed to the site, along with a large number of emergency medical workers and ambulances. Residents of the rural area said they had seen some survivors being taken away in ambulances.

A military officer who declined to provide his name to reporters said that there appeared to have been only three survivors in critical condition, but other officials declined to confirm that figure.

The plane was rented by Cubana, which has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months due to mechanical problems. Cuba’s First Vice-President, Salvador Valdes Mesa, met Thursday with Cubana officials to discuss improvements in its heavily criticized service.

Harrowing video captures moments after passenger jet carrying 104 passengers hit the ground in Cuba, exploding into a massive fireball. https://t.co/AheZpJc6CO pic.twitter.com/XiFsGagjtC
— ABC News (@ABC) May 18, 2018

MORE: Eyewitness video shows the aftermath of a passenger jet carrying 104 passengers crashing shortly after takeoff in Cuba. So far, three survivors have been found among the wreckage. https://t.co/IAUjBl6fUe pic.twitter.com/CbIT0sXdII
— ABC News (@ABC) May 18, 2018

#Boeing737 crash in #Cuba:
- Plane ‘struck power line’
- Over 100 killed
- 3 survivors in hospitalhttps://t.co/CiTSFqEiED pic.twitter.com/WfXPGPSuNc
— RT (@RT_com) May 18, 2018

UPDATE: At least 100 people were killed in a plane crash near Havana, according to Cuban authorities. https://t.co/f5Beb4aIzn
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) May 18, 2018

#UPDATE More than 100 killed after Boeing 737 crashes in #Cuba https://t.co/mFwrmKscri pic.twitter.com/mqhC6Ehoyo
— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) May 18, 2018

Prev Next

MORE International ARTICLES

Saudi Police Arrest Miniskirt Model In Viral Video, Free Her Without Charges

Saudi Arabian Police have interviewed and released a model who sparked a furore when a video of her bare-headed and wearing an 'indecent' miniskirt were posted to Snapchat, the Saudi government said on Wednesday.

Saudi Police Arrest Miniskirt Model In Viral Video, Free Her Without Charges

US Slams Pakistan For Providing 'Safe Havens' To Terror Groups

The US has slammed Pakistan for failing to crackdown on terror groups operating from "safe havens" inside its territory, and said the Nawaz Sharif government did not take any action against the LeT and JeM, which continue to operate openly.

US Slams Pakistan For Providing 'Safe Havens' To Terror Groups

Give Up Religion Or Face Punishment, China's Communist Party Tells Its Members

China's ruling Communist Party has warned that keeping religious belief is a 'red line' for its members and those who resist would be punished

Give Up Religion Or Face Punishment, China's Communist Party Tells Its Members

Indian Americans Hold Protests Against Mob Lynchings In India

Indian Americans, spanning various communities, held protests in three US cities, to express their outrage over lynching of minorities by mobs in India and the Narendra Modi government's policies which are "emboldening such forces".

Indian Americans Hold Protests Against Mob Lynchings In India

Australian Senator Larissa Waters Steps Down Because Of Dual Canadian Citizenship

BRISBANE, Australia — An Australian senator has been forced to step down because she is a dual citizen of Australia and Canada.

Australian Senator Larissa Waters Steps Down Because Of Dual Canadian Citizenship

U.S. Media Start Noticing Omar Khadr Payout As Opposition Mp Helps Spread Word

WASHINGTON — The federal payout to Omar Khadr was a big story in some conservative U.S. media outlets Monday, after nearly two weeks in which it had garnered barely a whisper south of the border.