Cuba Woke Up in Mourning after Aviation Accident

Havana, May 19 (Prensa Latina) Cuba meets today an official mourning after the tragic plane crash occurred the day before in Havana, when a Boeing 737 leased by Cubana de Aviación fell ashore at the moment of takeoff.

From 06:00 (local time) and until 12:00 pm on May 20, the national flag will remain at half-mast in public buildings and military institutions.

In the national flight DMJ 0972, which ran from Havana to Holguin, 104 passengers traveled, of which five were foreign citizens and the rest Cubans. The six-crew members were also foreigners.

During the last hours, many signs of solidarity for the tragic accident continued to arrive in the largest of the Antilles, where only three people survived, who remain in serious condition.

The president of China, Xi Jinping, expressed his regret to his Cuban counterpart, Miguel Diaz-Canel, for the tragedy, which affected him deeply and asked to extend his condolences to the relatives of the deceased.

In Russia, Prime Minister Dimitri Medvedev sent a telegram to the Cuban president asking him to convey his condolences and support to the families and relatives of the victims.

From the Vatican, Pope Francis sent a message of condolences for the victims of the tragic event near the José Martí airport in Havana, and offered his 'suffrages for the eternal rest of the disappeared' and 'his closeness to the wounded'.

At the same time, he conveyed expressions of consolation for the relatives who in this hour of pain mourn the unexpected separation of their loved ones.

The president of Angola, Joao Lourenzo, also expressed his solidarity with the Cuban government and people.