Cuba plane crash: Black box recovered

World
Europe

‍Cuban authorities have confirmed that 110 people were killed when an aging Boeing passenger jet crashed shortly after takeoff from Havana on Friday in the Caribbean island's deadliest air disaster in nearly 30 years.

The aircraft leased by Cubana de Aviacion from the Mexican company Aerolineas Damojh, crashed a little past noon on Friday, minutes after taking off from Havana's Jose Marti International Airport.

One of the two black boxes from the crashed plane has been found and is in good condition, according to Transport Minister Adel Yzquierdo.

Yzquierdo told a news conference on Saturday at Havana airport that the 110 dead included 99 Cubans, six Mexican crew members, two tourists from Argentina, one from Mexico, and two passengers from Western Sahara.

CGTN Photo

Up to now, only 15 bodies have been identified, the minister said, adding officials were working intensively to identify the rest of the victims, whose remains were transferred to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Havana.

Three people survived the crash, but are in a critical condition with serious burns.

Cuba has started a two-day national mourning period with flags flying at half-mast throughout the country.

12758km