Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The plane came down in a field near Havana's main airport

More than 100 people have died after a Boeing 737 airliner crashed near Cuba's main airport in Havana, the country's worst air disaster in decades.

Three women were pulled alive from the wreckage, but are said to be in a critical condition.

The plane, which was nearly 40 years old, was carrying 105 passengers and six crew members.

Cuban authorities have launched an investigation, and two days of national mourning have been declared.

The Boeing 737-201 crashed at 12:08 (16:08 GMT) on Friday, shortly after taking off from Havana on an internal flight to Holguin on the east of the island.

All six crew members on board were Mexican and the majority of the passengers were Cuban, with five foreigners reported to be among them.

"There has been an unfortunate aviation accident. The news is not very promising, it seems that there is a high number of victims," Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said after visiting the crash site.

How did the plane come down?

It's too early to say what caused the crash, but eyewitnesses on the ground describe seeing the jet burst into flames before crashing into a field close to a wooded area near Havana's main airport.

"I saw it taking off," supermarket worker Jose Luis told the AFP news agency. "All of a sudden, it made a turn, and went down. We were all amazed."

"We heard an explosion and then saw a big cloud of smoke go up," Gilberto Menendez, who runs a restaurant near the crash site, told Reuters.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Wreckage was spread over a large area

Mexico's transport department said on its website that "during take-off (the plane) apparently suffered a problem and dived to the ground".

Boeing said that it was ready to send a technical team to Cuba, "as permitted under US law and at the direction of the US National Transportation Safety Board and Cuban authorities". A US trade embargo has been in force against Cuba for many decades.

What do we know about the survivors?

Four people survived the crash but one died after being transported to hospital, the director of Havana's Calixto Garcia hospital, Carlos Alberto Martinez, told Reuters.

The three survivors are all women, according to Cuban Communist Party newspaper Granma: one aged between 18 and 25, one in her thirties and the third aged 39.

"She is alive but very burnt," one of the women's relatives at the hospital told Reuters.

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Three women were pulled from the wreckage

Both the Argentine and Mexican governments have confirmed nationals from their countries were among the dead.

What do we know about the plane?

The plane had been leased to state airline Cubana de Aviación by the Mexican company Aerolineas Damojh.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Crowds of shocked onlookers gathered at the crash site

The Mexican authorities said the plane was built in 1979 and had been successfully inspected last November. Mexico has said it was sending two civil aviation specialists to join the investigation.

Aerolineas Damojh, also known as Global Air, has three planes in operation.

How does it compare to recent plane crashes?

According to industry research, last year was the safest in history for commercial airline travel with no passenger jet crashes. But there have been several serious air disasters this year.

Last month, a military plane crashed shortly after take-off in Algeria, killing more than 250 people

In February, a Saratov Airlines plane crashed near Moscow, killing 71 people

In March, a US-Bangla Airlines flight crashed in Kathmandu, Nepal; 51 people died

Cuba's deadliest air crash was in 1989, when a Soviet-made Ilyushin-62M passenger plane crashed near Havana killing 126 people on board and another 24 people on the ground.</s>Havana, Cuba (CNN) More than 100 people are believed dead Friday after a Cubana de Aviacion Boeing 737-200 crashed on takeoff from Havana's Jose Marti International Airport, according to Cuba's state-run media.

Three female passengers are in critical condition after surviving the crash into thick vegetation just miles from the runway, the state-run newspaper Granma reported. Earlier Friday evening, Granma reported that one of the three survivors had died. Shortly afterward, Granma issued a correction, saying that all three women are alive.

The scene at Havana's Jose Marti International Airport after a Cubana de Aviacion plane crashed Friday.

Flight DMJ 0972 was headed to the eastern Cuban city of Holguin when it plummeted into in an agricultural area in the Santiago de las Vegas neighborhood at 12:08 p.m., according to Granma. Vice Minister of Transportation Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila said there were 105 passengers on board, including one infant. Five passengers were foreigners and 100 were Cuban, he said.

Argentina's Foreign Ministry said two passengers were Argentine.

Orestes Bentancour, who lives near the crash site, told CNN that he was drawn out of his home by the "enormous noise" the plane made on takeoff. He said the plane appeared to swerve to one side and revved its engines before crashing.

Read More</s>Havana, May 18 (IANS) A Boeing 737 plane, believed to be carrying 104 passengers, crashed on Friday shortly after taking off from Havana’s main airport, media reports said.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel said many are feared dead, according to Sky News.

The plane came down shortly after take-off and exploded on the “highway” between Boyeros and Havana, near the Jose Marti International Airport here, Radio Habana Cuba tweeted.

Fire crews and ambulances were at the scene, BBC reported.

The plane reportedly belongs to Cubana de Aviacion. The flight was headed to Guyana, an airport source told CNN.</s>President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other government officials rushed to the site, along with a large number of emergency medical workers and ambulances, AP said. It said residents of the rural area reported seeing some survivors being taken away in ambulances.

Cubana de Aviacion has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months because of mechanical problems.

There were conflicting reports on which company owned and operated the plane.

Mercedes Vazquez, Cuba's director of air transportation, told Cubadebate, a semiofficial news outlet, that the flight was operated by a Mexican company called Global Air. Cuban television initially reported that it belonged to Blue Panorama Airlines.

Two U.S. government — the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board — and investigators from Boeing could assist in the investigation if invited by Cuban authorities. It is routine for U.S. investigators and the airplane manufacturer to help with investigations anywhere in the world when a U.S.-made plane crashes.

The Latest: Worker: Jet crashed in Cuba is Mexican company's

HAVANA (AP) — The Latest on the plane crash in Havana (all times local):

Residents living near the site of a plane crash in Cuba tell The Associated Press they saw at least some survivors being taken away in ambulances after an airliner with 113 people on board plummeted after takeoff from Havana's international airport.

A military officer who declined to provide his name to reporters says there appear to have been three survivors in critical condition from the Cubana flight. Other officials have declined to confirm that.

The heavily damaged and burnt plane is lying in a field of yuca-root plants.

The plane was rented by Cubana, and an employee of a small Mexican charter firm says the aircraft belongs to the company. Cuba's state-run airline is notorious for its frequent delays and cancellations.

An employee of a small Mexican charter firm says the passenger jet that crashed near the Havana airport belongs to the company and that six Mexican crew members were operating it.

An employee who answered the phone at the Mexico City office of Global Air said he had no information on the crew or the more than 100 passengers of various nationalities.

The employee asked not to be named as the company is still not issuing formal statements.

Websites offering the firm's services say it flies to Cuba and operates several 737 planes.

Founded in 1990, the company operates under the legal name Aerolineas Damojh, S.A. de C.V.

A military officer tells reporters that there appears to have been only three survivors in critical condition after a Boeing 737 crashed on takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana on Friday with 104 passengers and nine crew aboard.

The officer declined to provide his name and other officials declined to confirm the figure.

The plane came to rest in a yuca field where firefighters sprayed the charred fuselage with hoses.

Officials said the plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin when it crashed between the airport in southern Havana and the nearby town of Santiago de Las Vegas.

The plane was operated by Cubana. The state airline has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months due to mechanical problems.

A Boeing 737 operated by state airline Cubana crashed on takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana on Friday with 104 people on board. There was no immediate word on casualties.

State television and websites said the plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin and crashed between the airport in southern Havana and the nearby town of Santiago de Las Vegas.

The plane lay in a farm field and appeared heavily damaged and burnt, with firefighters spraying water on its smouldering remains. Government officials including President Miguel Diaz-Canel rushed to the site, along with a large number of emergency medical workers and ambulances. Residents of the rural area said they had seen some survivors being taken away in ambulances.

The plane was rented by Cubana, which has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months due to mechanical problems.

A look at major plane crashes in Cuba in recent years

HAVANA —A look at some of the major plane crashes in Cuba in recent years:
• May 18, 2018: A Boeing 737 operated by state airline Cubana crashes on takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana with 104 passengers on board. There was no immediate word on casualties. The plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin and crashed between the airport in southern Havana and the nearby town of Santiago de Las Vegas.
• April 29, 2017: A Cuban military plane crashes into a hillside in the western province of Artemisa, killing eight troops on board, the government said. The Soviet-made AN-26 took off from the Playa Baracoa airport outside Havana and crashed outside the town of Candelaria about 40 miles (65 kilometres) away.
• Nov. 4, 2010: An AeroCaribbean flight from Santiago to Havana went down in bad weather as it flew over central Cuba, killing all 68 people aboard, including 28 foreigners. It was the country's deadliest air disaster in more than two decades. Cuban aviation authorities later blamed bad weather and pilot error for the crash.
• Sept. 4, 1989: A chartered Cubana plane flying from Havana to Milan, Italy, went down shortly after takeoff, killing all 126 people on board, as well as at least two dozen on the ground.
• Oct. 6, 1976: Cubana flight from Barbados to Jamaica is blown up by bomb, killing 73. The attack is blamed on exiles with ties to U.S.-backed anti-Castro groups. Both of the men accused of masterminding the crime took shelter in Florida, where one, Luis Posada Carriles, lives to this day.

The Washington Post's Ashley Halsey III, Nick Miroff, Anthony Faiola and Brian Murphy contributed to this report.

The Washington Post’s Ashley Halsey III, Nick Miroff, Anthony Faiola and Brian Murphy contributed to this report.</s>A plane with more than 110 people on board has crashed shortly after taking off from Jose Marti airport in Cuba's capital, Havana, according to state media.

The Boeing 737, which was heading to the eastern city of Holguin, crashed "near the international airport" on Friday, state agency Prensa Latina reported.

The aircraft carried 104 passengers and nine crew. Local media reports said there were at least three survivors who were taken to hospital in critical condition.

Fire crews and ambulances rushed to the scene, while images posted on social media purported to show a thick column of smoke rising above the crash site.

"There has been an unfortunate aviation accident. The news is not very promising, it seems that there is a high number of victims," Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who visited the site, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

Ed Augustin, a journalist based in Havana, said it was likely that the plane had crashed minutes after take off.

"That's because you can see plumes of smoke rising from the crash site from inside the Havana airport," he told Al Jazeera.

Holguin was a popular destination for tourists, he added.</s>HAVANA — Cuban media say a Boeing 737 operated by state airline Cubana has crashed on takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana with 104 passengers on board. There was no immediate word on casualties.

State television and websites said the plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin and crashed between the airport in southern Havana and the nearby town of Santiago de las Vegas.

The plane was rented by Cubana, which has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months due to mechanical problems.</s>HAVANA >> A Boeing 737 operated by state airline Cubana crashed on takeoff from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana on Friday with 104 people on board. There was no immediate word on casualties.

State television and websites said the plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin and crashed between the airport in southern Havana and the nearby town of Santiago de las Vegas.

The plane lay in a farm field and appeared heavily damaged and burnt, with firefighters spraying water on its smoldering remains. Government officials including President Miguel Diaz-Canel rushed to the site, along with a large number of emergency medical workers and ambulances. Residents of the rural area said they had seen some survivors being taken away in ambulances.

The plane was rented by Cubana, which has taken many of its aging planes out of service in recent months due to mechanical problems.</s>At least 100 people were on a plane that crashed after taking off from Havana, Cuba. (Source: Raycom Media)

HAVANA, CUBA (RNN) – A Boeing 737 Blue Panorama flight carrying more than 100 people crashed after taking off from Jose Marti Airport, Cuba's state media tells CNN.

Earlier reports said the plane was a Cubana de Aviacion flight, which is Cuba's national carrier.

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.

The plane was headed to Holguin, which is on the south east side of the island.</s>At least 100 people were on a plane that crashed after taking off from Havana, Cuba. (Source: Raycom Media)

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.

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.</s>HAVANA (CBS) — A Cuban airliner with 110 passengers on board plummeted into a yuca field just after takeoff from Havana’s Jose Marti International Airport on Friday. Reports said there were nine crew members and 104 passengers on board. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Officials said the plane was headed to the eastern city of Holguin when it crashed a short distance from the end of the runway on the southern outskirts of Havana. Witnesses said they saw a thick column of smoke near the airport.

“A column of black smoke rose up in the sky,” resident Ana Gonzalez told Reuters news agency.

The plane lay in a field of yuca-root plants and appeared heavily damaged and burnt. Firefighters were trying to extinguish its smoldering remains. Government officials including President Miguel Diaz-Canel rushed to the site, along with a large number of emergency medical workers. Residents of the rural area said they had seen some survivors being taken away in ambulances.

Cubana, the country’s national airline company, rented the plane from Blue Panorama, Cuban media reports.

Relatives of passengers rushed to the scene, among them a man who said that his wife and niece had been on board. He declined to provide his full name before he was taken to an airline terminal where relatives were being asked to gather.

A military officer who declined to provide his name to reporters said that there appeared to have been only three survivors in critical condition, but other officials declined to confirm that figure.

Authorities are still gathering information about the crash and cannot confirm if Americans were on the flight or not, a U.S. State Department official said Friday.

“We offer our sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. We cannot yet confirm whether U.S. Citizens were on board,” the official said in a statement.

Cuba’s First Vice-President, Salvador Valdes Mesa, met Thursday with Cubana officials to discuss improvements in its heavily criticized service. The airline is notorious among Cubans for its frequent delays and cancellations, which Cubana blames on a lack of parts and airplanes due to the U.S. trade embargo on the island.

The crash Friday was Cuba’s third major fatal accident since 2010.

Last year, a Cuban military plane crashes into a hillside in the western province of Artemisa, killing eight troops on board. In November 2010, an AeroCaribbean flight from Santiago to Havana went down in bad weather as it flew over central Cuba, killing all 68 people, including 28 foreigners, in what was Cuba’s worst air disaster in more than two decades.

The last Cubana accident appears to have been on Sept. 4, 1989, when a chartered Cubana plane flying from Havana to Milan, Italy, went down shortly after takeoff, killing all 126 people on board, as well as at least two dozen on the ground.

Cubana’s director general, Capt. Hermes Hernandez Dumas, told state media last month that Cubana’s domestic flights had carried 11,700 more passengers than planned between January and April 2018. It said that 64 percent of flights had taken off on time, up from 59 percent the previous year.

“Among the difficulties created by the U.S. trade embargo is our inability to acquire latest-generation aircraft with technology capable of guaranteeing the stability of aerial operations,” Hernandez said. “Another factor is obtaining part for Cubana’s aircraft.”

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A Boeing 737 crashes shortly after taking off from Havana, Cuba, with 104 passengers and nine crew on board. Only three people are reported to have survived the crash. One survivor later dies from her injuries.