Passenger plane disappears from radar in Cuba

A passenger plane with up to 39 people aboard has disappeared off the radar above Cuba, several local media outlets report. There has been no official information on the issue from the Cuban authorities.

An Antonov-26 plane with up to 39 people on board dropped off radar screens in the early hours of Saturday as it was conducting a flight over Cuba, according to the local NTN24 broadcaster. The aircraft belonged to the local Havana-based Aerograviota airlines.

The plane took off from an airport near the town of Baracoa in eastern Cuba and later disappeared over the western Pinar del Rio province, according to the broadcaster.

The incident reportedly happened not far from the town of Las Terrazas.

Media reports suggets that the plane has crashed and there have been no survivors, although Cuban officials have not yet confirmed the information about the incident.

The plane allegedly crashed in an area known as Las Lomas de San Cristóbal, which is “difficult to reach by land,” some local media report, citing unidentified sources.

A local CyberCuba media outlet said that the airline confirmed that the plane had crashed, adding that there are “some casualties.”

The Russian consulate in Cuba said it is trying to verify information concerning Russian citizens possibly being onboard the aircraft. “So far, we have no information about Russian citizens [onboard],” the consulate’s spokesman told the Russian media.
 rt.com
29/4/17