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Cuba: 110 People Die in Plane Crash Outside Havana

HeadlineMay 21, 2018

Cuba has begun two days of national mourning Saturday, after 110 people died when a plane crashed and burned right after takeoff on Friday outside Havana. Officials say three survivors are in critical condition. This is Ana Avilés Gómez, whose son died in Friday’s crash.

Ana Avilés Gómez: “My son, he was my life. I don’t want to think about it. I was talking to him before the flight, and I told him, 'Be good, eat, enjoy, take care of yourself.' And he said, “Yes, mother, yes, yes.’ He was with his wife. They were very happy.”

Experts say the U.S. embargo of Cuba has crippled Cuba’s aviation industry, forcing Cuba to fly decades-old planes and scramble to obtain parts to make essential repairs. The Boeing 737 that crashed on Friday was nearly 40 years old, which an aviation specialist said was “one of the oldest passenger jets I have heard of that is still in service.”

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