HAVANA, CUBA (RNN) – A Boeing 737 plane carrying more than 100 people crashed after taking off from Jose Marti Airport, Cuba's state media tells CNN.
It's not yet known the extent of injuries or if there are any fatalities. CNN reports that three passengers are in critical condition and Cuba's president is at the scene.
Tweets from Spanish media say that the plane landed 20 kilometers from the airport in a neighborhood.
A huge fireball, then thick black smoke billowing in the air was seen from witnesses near the airport.
Because information is coming from Cuba's state media, it's changing and slow coming. Initially, they said the plane was from Blue Panorama, a low-cost, private Italian airline company.
Los fotógrafos de @AFPphoto, en el lugar del accidente del Boeing 737 de Cubana de Aviación que se estrelló con 104 pasajeros a bordo poco después de despegar desde La Habana #AFP pic.twitter.com/BQT3noa1Cx
— Agence France-Presse (@AFPespanol) May 18, 2018
However, it seems that Cubana de Aviacion, which is Cuba's national carrier, leased the plane because of its aging fleet.
Cubana de Aviacion grounded many flights earlier this month because of safety issues.
The plane was headed to Holguin, which is on the south east side of the island 400 miles from Havana.
Plane crash in Cuba, American flight crashed shortly after take off 😟 #cuba #planecrash pic.twitter.com/W4IuiIaF1K
— Matt Blakeley (@blakeley1990) May 18, 2018
Copyright 2018 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
HAVANA, CUBA (RNN) – A Boeing 737 Cubana de Aviacion flight carrying more than 100 people crashed after taking off from Jose Marti Airport.
A huge fireball was seen according to CNN, and a Twitter user tweeted a photo of a large black plume of smoke in the air.
In the past few weeks, Cuba’s national carrier – Cubana de Aviacion - has grounded flights because of safety issues to its aging fleet, CNN reports.
It’s not clear where the plane was headed.
Copyright 2018 Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
