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MORE THAN 100 people on board the Cuban State airways plane have been killed after the airliner crashed shortly after taking off from Havana.
Cuban state media reported that three women had been pulled alive from the mangled wreckage and were in critical condition in hospital.
They were the only known survivors from the nearly 40-year-old Boeing 737, operated by Cubana de Aviacion. It crashed into a field close to a wooded area near Jose Marti airport, sending a thick column of acrid smoke into the air.
The 110 people aboard included six Mexican crew, said the Mexico-based company that leased the plane, Global Air, also known as Aerolineas Damojh.
Two victims were Argentine, the country’s foreign ministry said. Most of the others were Cuban, according to state media.
The plane – carrying 104 passengers – was almost completely destroyed in the crash and subsequent fire. Firefighters raced to the scene along with a fleet of ambulances to put out the blaze, as emergency personnel combed through the wreckage.
What appeared to be one of the wings of the plane was wedged among scorched tree trunks, but the main fuselage was almost entirely destroyed.
Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who visited the scene, said an investigation has been opened into the disaster, and that its findings would be made public as soon as possible. A press conference is scheduled for 7pm today.
The 58-year-old president, who succeeded Raul Castro as the communist island’s leader only last month, appeared aghast as he surveyed the recovery efforts, wearing a short-sleeved green shirt and surrounded by officials.
He said an investigation into the cause of the accident was underway.
Cuba declared two days of national mourning.
Raul Castro sent condolences to families of the victims of the “catastrophic accident,” a statement read, as Russian President Vladimir Putin and a string of Latin American leaders also expressed sympathy.
‘The explosion shook everything’
Airport sources said the plane took off at 12:08pm (5.08pm Irish time) heading for the eastern city of Holguin, 670 kilometres away.
From the supermarket where he works near the airport, Jose Luis, 49, said he could see the plane taking off before it banked and plunged to the ground.
“I saw it taking off. All of a sudden, it made a turn, and went down. We were all amazed,” he said.
Yasniel Diaz, a 21-year-old musician, said the pilot appeared to attempt an emergency landing, but crashed instead.
“The explosion shook everything,” he said.
I started running, I was so afraid.
Images from Cuban television showed rescue workers at the scene removing what appeared to be a survivor on a stretcher as rain began to fall.
Anguished relatives
Global Air said the plane was flying with a crew of six Mexicans – the pilot, co-pilot, three flight attendants and a maintenance technician.
In Mexico City, anguished relatives and colleagues of the crew gathered outside the company’s offices demanding information – some of them hugging and crying.
“I was friends with the captain, with the co-pilot, with the head flight attendant,” said a former Global Air employee, 44-year-old Ana Marlene Covarrubias.
“When I heard the news on the phone, I thought it was one of those jokes people play,” she told AFP.
Mexico said it had sent two civil aviation specialists to help in the investigation.
The Mexican communications and transportation ministry said the plane was built in 1979. Global Air had the necessary permits to lease it, and had passed inspections in November last year, it said.
The company, formed in 1990, had a fleet of three planes, all Boeing 737s.
Prior to Friday’s crash, Cuba’s most recent air accident occurred in April 2017, when eight military personnel died when a Russian-made AN-26 transport aircraft went down in western Cuba.
The country’s last major airline disaster was in November 2010 when a Cuban Aerocaribbean jet crashed on a flight from Santiago de Cuba to Havana, killing all 68 people on board, including 28 foreigners.
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The worst thing about Netflix is you spend have the time looking through loads of film titles wondering which one to watch…
I never noticed the blood on Frank’s hands until now! Subtle
Can’t wait to watch the next season. Such a classy show.
Is there anything decent on Netflix? Old movies, kids stuff and the odd box set no?
Its convenient, thats about it.
I can’t remember the last time I used Irish netflix, probably on a Fr Ted marathon. That’s it. I don’t know anyone who uses the Irish version these days. Use a dynamic DNS service (I use unotelly) to use the US version instead. You can switch back and forth if needed. But the Irish one is pretty pants.
And Netflix have confirmed the won’t shut down your account if your caught using one. Now if only we could get RTE to go pay for view only…….
Rarely use the irish one. Prob for the father ted too. I use hola on the lap top to watch the U.S. one
Can I do that with ps3??
One word “Turboflix”
Actually, you can set up the DNS on your router/modem so that all devices in your home, including your PS3, use the US version.
For the Irish version, I just switch to using 4G on my phone and watch it there. Means I don’t have to tinker with anything once it’s set up. It also means you don’t need to open it in an app like hola. Hola is painful to use and is slow as hell. So too is a VPN with HD video.
There’s plenty of dynamic DNS services available. The one I use is not the only, or necessarily best, one. Hope that’s useful.
You sure you don’t mean a VPN? I don’t see how a dynamic dns service could do what you are saying. A dynamic dns service is one that maps a server address to an ip address that changes.
Cool thanks
Sorry Colm, you’re right. The Dynamic DNS is actually just for the changing IP address of the router, I believe it’s actually some sort of ipsec that’s used exclusively for netflix traffic. Either way, it works really well.
Do a search on google, fairly easy to do. No charges.
Dave / Colm: you’re both close :) it’s actually smart DNS solution that you refer to. And to make it little bit more confusing – it often use dynamic DNS to work together.
In example: you are provided with dedicated DNS server that is automatically detecting your requests, so if you try to open http://www.netflix.com it will put you through their proxy server located in the US (in order to allow you to view us content). If you open http://www.rte.ie then nothing special happens – it will forward to rte as normal. So it knows what websites need to be put through proxy which not – hence name smart DNS. Then it can use dynamic DNS as well – this is for their own security. For example they offer you their smart DNS service but how can they know their service is not used by multiple people – anyone can enter their DNS details and use for free? Of course they have to add restriction for each IP (customer). Because your connection IP may be changing dynamically with your provider – then that’s why and when dynamic DNS service comes into play – so when your ip changes they automatically know it and allow you to use service as normal. If you didn’t use dynamic DNS then every time your ISP changes your ip you would have to manually change it with your smart DNS provider. If your ip is not dynamically changed by your ISP then you don’t need dynamic DNS to use smart DNS services. Hope that helps a bit.
Show Box…alternative to Netflix…no subscription…just saying!
This. ShowBox is yer only man. Compatible with Chromecast too with the Bubbleupnp app on Android.
I use localcast with it ,does that one work better
Have looked at showbox before and don’t get it. Any suggestions for setting it up for a complete thick using iOS and appleTV??
Constantly crashing and getting blocked. Not much of an alternative.
Try popcorn time for IOS
Couchtunter.eu for airplaying streamed content to apple tv. Or casting to chromecast for that matter
Box set?….check out ‘The Killing’ on Netflix. It’s my new addiction.
It’s brilliant love it
Netflix is great. Only 8.99 a month for two screens at the same time. Way cheaper than cable or sky. Don’t have to worry about repeats,
I see the standard account has gone from 6.99 (which allowed two screens) to 7.99 are they charging an extra euro for the second screen too?
Search for isoplex
A free streaming service
You just need a fast connection
That’s me out so. Country living.
Not necessarily, I watch Netflix USA via a dynamic DNS and have no issues even though I only get 5 Mbps from my connection.
I use turboflix its Netflix really but they give you different dns codes on the gaming consoles it much better than the Irish Netflix so much to choose from its only 3 euro a month
I can’t find anything that’s works on Xbox one any ideas?
As I mentioned above, unotelly.com
Set it up on your router so you don’t even need to configure your xbox.
So if in a few years if most people just watch internet tv, what happens to traditional tv channels with little viewership they may disappear and we will be left with just subscription internet tv and that is not good news.
Are you kidding me, I have access to thousands of amazing movies, TV shows, loads of kids TV for €7, or I can pay a rip off TV Licence for the late late show, give me Netflix any day.
With 65 million paying subscribers a month earning them half a billion euro a month…. Internet tv is not only profitable but very enticing
Try xbmc(now called kodi) with tvaddons. It has all the tv shows, Its free plus is up to date and has movies just released in cinema.
Ah ya cant bate the auld reliable….. teletext
Interesting that Netflix is “arriving” in Australia in two months when there are already 250,000 households using the service through dynamic DNS bypassing the geo-blocking. Netflix’s Australian service will be competing against their own far superior USA service.
Yes most will continue to watch the U.S. Version it’s a no brainer why pay the same for less content. This is something Netflix will have to sit do and have a long think about.
Netflix US is great can’t say the same about the European version.
HBO will wipe the floor with Netflix when it gets motoring.
Portal TV app is by far the best and can be used with Chromecast,
Watched Taken 3 on it last night ( only just out in cinemas ) and The Interview is also available.
All the latest movies.
How can I get American Netflix on my iPad?
Any help would be great. Thank you.
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