More Than 100 Confirmed Dead After 737-200 Crashes in Cuba

More than 100 people, including five children, died Friday after a Boeing 737-200 crashed shortly after takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport (HAV) in Havana, Cuba.

Cuba state-owned carrier, Cubana de Aviación, leased the plane from Global Air for Friday’s flight between Havana (HAV) and Holguin (HOG) because of a shortage of available aircraft among its own fleet. Earlier this month, due to safety concerns, Cubana was ordered to suspend flights operated on its six Russian-built AN-158 planes.

In order to maintain its flight schedule without using the grounded aircraft, Cubana leased airplanes such as XA-UHZ, complete with crews, to operate flights under Cubana’s CU flight codes. The Mexican Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that five of the nine crew members on board were Mexican nationals.

Firefighters and other rescue personnel were at the scene of the accident shortly after the crash, according to local news reports. Only four survivors were rescued from the burning wreckage, and one later died. The three other seriously injured passengers, all women, were admitted to General Calixto Garcia University Hospital for treatment.

Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel arrived at the scene of the crash early Friday afternoon. Diaz-Canel offered his condolences to the families of the victims, and stated that Cuban authorities would investigate the crash.

Various heads of state from other countries have taken to Twitter to express their sympathy, including Venezuela President Nicolaás Maduro and Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau:

Words always seem to fall short at times like this, but to those who lost a friend, loved one, or family member in today’s plane crash in Cuba, know that we are keeping you in our thoughts and our hearts.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) May 18, 2018

The last fatal crash in Cuba was a military flight in 2017 that killed all eight on board, according to the Aviation Safety Network.

Source: thepointsguy.com