Plane crash on May 18. In Cuba, more than a hundred people died in a plane crash. Victims and victims of the plane crash in Cuba

VILNIUS, May 19 - Sputnik. The flight engineer serving the flight that took off earlier from the Boeing 737 that crashed in Cuba suggested that the cause of the disaster could be a technical failure, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the Cuban portal Cubadebate.

“13 minutes before it fell, our crew, operating another domestic Cubana flight, flew to the province of Santiago de Cuba. We communicated with them via radio while taxiing to runway... Today [Friday], around 11 am, we, members of the two crews, met at office space terminal (Havana airport) to have lunch and exchange a few words before the flight. We will not meet again - apparently due to a technical glitch that occurred in aircraft" said a flight engineer named Joanner.

Boeing 737 crash near Havana

On Friday, a Boeing 737 flying from Havana to Holguin crashed shortly after takeoff. As eyewitnesses told local media, the plane tried to return to the airport, but crashed into power lines.

© AFP 2020 / YAMIL LAGE

According to the Mexican company Global Air, from which Cubana de Aviacion leased the plane, there were 110 people on board. Among the passengers were five foreigners, two of them citizens of Argentina, the rest were Cubans.

It is noted that the crashed plane was 39 years old, but it had all the necessary permits.

Local media reported four survivors of the plane crash. Three women were taken to hospital in serious condition, the man died on the way.

In connection with the tragedy, the Cuban authorities declared mourning.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite expressed condolences to the people of Cuba. The authorities of Russia, Venezuela, Spain, Mexico, and France also sent condolences.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has already expressed his condolences in connection with the plane crash in Havana. He sent a telegram to the Chairman of the State Council and Council of Ministers of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, the Kremlin press service reported. “The head of the Russian state conveyed words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to those who managed to survive this disaster,” the telegram says. Let us remind you that only two managed to survive.

Boeing 737 is the most popular passenger aircraft in history passenger aircraft industry. In March of this year, the ten-thousandth aircraft of this manufacturer was put into operation. The model has been produced since 1967. On average, there are an average of 1,200 aircraft in the air at any given time and one Boeing 737 takes off and lands every five seconds around the world.

According to updated data, the plane crashed into agricultural fields between the José Martí airport and the Havana suburb of Santiago de las Vegas.

One of the survivors of a passenger Boeing crash in Cuba died of burns in a Havana hospital, Reuters reports, citing a hospital representative. Two other survivors are in serious condition.

The city of Holguin, where the plane was heading, is located near the famous beach resorts, the largest of which is Guardalavaca. Holguin is the fourth largest city in Cuba. The toponym has nothing to do with the popular Russian name: the city and the province are named after the discoverer of this part of the island, the Spanish captain Garcia Holguin.

The plane was leased by Cubana de Aviación to the carrier Global, writes the Cuban newspaper Granma. There were a total of 105 people on board, including passengers and crew. There were six children among the passengers, two of them under two years old.

The Boeing 737 that crashed in Cuba was in operation for 26 years. Over the years he has flown thousands of miles. Information about the technical condition of the aircraft in recent years and directly on the day of the crash on at the moment No.

Eyewitnesses of the plane crash share details of the incident. “A second later we saw a large fireball, and then clouds of smoke spreading tens of meters above the crashed plane. The plane crashed so close to the airport that everything was visible from the windows,” said a local resident.

The preliminary version of the crash of a passenger Boeing 737 in Cuba is considered to be a technical malfunction, local media report.

The three survivors of the plane crash are hospitalized in critical condition. This was reported by AFP with reference to state media.

The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) called it unlikely that there could have been Russians on board the plane that crashed in Cuba.

“Large tour operators do not take tourists from Havana to Holguin, although there are niche companies. The likelihood that there could be Russians on board the plane is very low,” a representative of the association told Interfax.

MEXICO CITY, May 19- RIA Novosti. More than a hundred people were killed when a Boeing 737-200 crashed in Cuba on Friday shortly after the plane took off from Havana airport.

According to the Mexican company Global Air, from which Cubana de Aviacion leased the plane, there were 110 people on board, including 104 passengers and six crew members. Among the passengers of the crashed plane were five foreigners, the rest were Cubans, and the crew was from Mexico. According to the embassy, ​​there were no Russian citizens on board. Later it became known that two Argentines were killed.

The airliner, flying from Havana to Holguin, crashed shortly after takeoff, crashing between the José Martí airport and the Havana suburb of Santiago de las Vegas, in an area of ​​agricultural land.

There are survivors

Shortly after the crash, local media reported that there were four survivors of the plane crash. The three surviving women were taken to the intensive care unit of Havana's Calixto Garcia Hospital in serious condition; the man died on the way to the hospital. Later, Cuba TV reported the death of one of the women, but then denied this information.

The victims have multiple fractures, hematomas and burns; they are being treated by resuscitators, surgeons, neurologists, orthopedists and other specialists.

According to the Ministry of Transport of Mexico, the plane was 39 years old, it was produced in 1979, but had all the necessary permits to operate.

Chairman of the State Council and Council of Ministers of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel said that an investigation into the circumstances of the crash would be conducted and expressed condolences to the families of the victims. The black boxes have not yet been found.

All terminals at Havana José Martí Airport continue to operate.

© Ruptly

Eyewitness accounts

Eyewitnesses told Cuban TV that the plane was trying to return to the airport after takeoff, but crashed into power lines. Witnesses also reported that the first rescuers arrived at the scene 12 minutes after the fall.

The crash was the first for Cubana de Aviacion since 1999, according to data from the Aviation Safety Network (ASN) portal, which tracks aviation accidents.

International reaction

Vladimir Putin sent a telegram of condolences to Diaz-Canel. “The head of the Russian state conveyed words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to those who managed to survive this disaster,” the telegram says.

Condolences were sent by Venezuela, Spain, Mexico, and France. Boeing also expressed its condolences to the loved ones of the passengers and crew of the crashed plane, as well as its readiness to provide the necessary technical assistance.

As RIA Novosti was told in the press service of the State Department, the United States is studying information about the crash of the Boeing-737 plane in Cuba and is finding out whether there were American citizens on board. Canada said it is working to obtain additional information and, if necessary, is ready to provide consular assistance to Canadian citizens.

The Cuban authorities declared mourning in connection with the plane crash.

Sergey Orlov, Vladimir Smirnov

A Boeing 737-200 passenger plane of the Cuban airline Cubana de Aviacion, performing a domestic flight from Havana to the province of Holguin, crashed during takeoff. There were more than 100 people on board the aircraft. It is reported that the airliner was leased from the Mexican airline Damojh and was flown by a foreign crew. The Chairman of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, arrived at the scene of the disaster and announced a large number of victims of the tragedy. At the same time, there is no official information on the number of dead and wounded.

• Adalberto Roque

On Friday, May 18, a Boeing 737 plane of the Cuban airline Cubana de Aviacion crashed during takeoff at Havana airport. The plane crashed a few minutes after taking off from international airport Havana named after Jose Marti. Cuban authorities have already confirmed the crash.

“At 12:08 p.m., a Boeing 737-200, leased by Cubana de Aviacion, with a foreign crew and 104 passengers on board, flying from Havana to Holguin on flight DMJ 0972, fell to the ground at the moment of takeoff,” the official press organ of the Central Committee reported. Communist Party of Cuba - newspaper Granma.

It is noted that the plane crashed between José Martí Airport and populated area Santiago de las Vegas. At the scene of the incident are emergency services.

The Cubanet portal clarifies that the crashed plane belonged to the Mexican airline Damojh.

There are no official data on the number of victims of the disaster yet. Media reported that more than a hundred people were on board the aircraft. Thus, according to the Infobae website, there were 104 people on board the crashed Cuban Boeing. The publication Cibercuba, citing Gabriel Silva, a journalist for the Cuban radio Radio Rebelde, writes that there were 107 people on board, not counting the crew members, RIA Novosti notes.

Before official confirmation was received that the Boeing 737's destination was an airport in the Cuban province of Holguin in the east of the island, information appeared that the plane was operating international flight. At the same time, CNN reported that Boeing could be heading to Guyana.

The Chairman of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel, arrived at the crash site. Even before arriving at the scene, the head of Cuba announced a “large number” of victims of the disaster at Havana airport.

“There was an unfortunate air incident. The news is not encouraging, the number of victims is probably high,” AFP quotes Díaz-Canel.

At the same time, witnesses to the Boeing 737 crash reported survivors who were transported in ambulances, The Associated Press reports.

It is not yet known whether there are foreigners among the dead. This information is clarified by the emergency services of the Republic of Cuba, as well as consular departments. Thus, the secretary of the Russian Embassy in Cuba, Nadezhda Sergieva, said that the diplomatic mission is in constant contact with the country’s authorities to find out whether there were Russians on board the crashed airliner.

“There are no details yet. Diplomats are in constant contact with the Cuban competent authorities, finding out the circumstances of the incident - whether there were Russian citizens on board,” RIA Novosti quotes her as saying.

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent condolences to the Cuban leader in connection with the plane crash at Havana airport. The Kremlin press service reported this.

“The head of the Russian state conveyed words of sympathy and support to the families and friends of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to those who managed to survive this disaster,” the message says.

Cuban authorities clarified that the incident did not lead to disruption of the Havana José Martí Airport. According to the head of the Corporation civil aviation Cuba Roberto Pena Sampera, the airport continues to operate.

In turn, representatives of Boeing reported that they are monitoring the situation in connection with the plane crash in Cuba.

Illustration copyright Reuters

A passenger plane crashed in Cuba. There were 104 passengers and six crew members on board.

The cause of the plane crash is still unknown; Cuban authorities have announced the start of an investigation.

There is no official data on casualties yet, but media claim that at least three people survived and are in critical condition.

Cuban authorities declared national mourning in connection with the plane crash.

The Boeing 737 of the Cuban state airline Cubana de Aviacion, taking off from Havana airport, crashed shortly after takeoff. He was heading to the city of Holguin in the east of the island.

The passengers were mostly Cubans, only five were foreign citizens, reported the state portal Cubadebate.

What did you see from the ground?

Eyewitnesses say they saw flames engulf the plane before it crashed.

"We heard an explosion and then saw a huge cloud of black smoke rising from where the plane crashed," said local restaurateur Gilberto Menendez.

Mexico's transportation authority said in a statement that the plane experienced a technical problem during takeoff.

The American corporation Boeing stated that it is ready to send a group of its experts to Cuba, which is not prohibited by American law. Such a group would work under the guidance of the US Transportation Security Administration and Cuban authorities.

The American embargo imposed under President John F. Kennedy continues to apply to Cuba.

“There was a plane crash. The news is not encouraging, apparently there are a large number of casualties,” Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel, who arrived at the scene, wrote on Twitter.

The plane belonged to Mexico's Aerolineas Damoj and was leased from Cuba's Cubana de Aviacion, the Mexican government said in a statement.

The plane was built in 1979 and had six Mexican crew members on board, including the commander and co-pilot.

Boeing has already stated that it is ready to send a team of specialists to help the Cuban authorities.

"I saw him take off," supermarket employee José Luis told AFP. "Suddenly he made a turn and began to fall. We were all amazed."

Local radio tweeted that the plane crashed on the road between Havana and Boyeros, 20 kilometers south of the capital.

Last year was named the safest in the history of commercial transportation, according to a study by the Aviation Safety Network - not a single passenger plane crash was recorded.

However, this year there have already been several serious aviation accidents. Last month, a military plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Algeria, killing 257 people.