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.