Cuba Plane Crash: Cuba decrees two days of national mourning

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Europe

02:03

We begin with a tragedy out of Cuba where a plane carrying 110 people crashed near Havana, killing almost everyone on board. State media reports the passengers were mainly Cubans, with five foreigners. There are three survivors but they are in a critical condition. The government has declared two days of national mourning. CGTN's WANG TONGXUAN has more.

CARLOS ALBERTO MARTINEZ DIRECTOR, GENERAL HOSPITAL CALIXTO CARCIA "Four injured people arrived at our institution, at our emergency center. Of those four injured people, the first one that arrived dead."

The plane was almost completely destroyed, the wreckage was spread over a large area.

Rescuers combed through the scene, but there was little hope of more survivors.

RELATIVE OF FLIGHT CREW "We still don't know, we are waiting for information. We still know nothing. They haven't told us anything, we are still waiting."

"Yes, we are relatives."

ANA COVARRUBIAS FORMER FLIGHT ATTENDANT "It was an accident. I am speechless. I am very sad, I am in mourning for the company, for the families. For aeronautics, it was very, very serious. It's a tragedy for us. Yes, Captain Jorge, Ariola, Daniela, Abigail."

The Boeing 737-201 went down at 12:08 pm on Friday, shortly after taking off from Havana's Jose Marti International Airport.

It was on an internal flight to Holguin.

The plane had been leased to the Cuban state airline by a small Mexican company, known as Global Air.

Mexico's government said the plane was built in 1979 and had passed inspection in November.

ANA COVARRUBIAS FORMER FLIGHT ATTENDANT " I don't have the words. I'm very sad. It was something really, really, really terrible, a tragedy for us."

Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

Boeing says it's ready to send a technical team to Cuba.