Cuba confirms 110 deaths in plane crash

HAVANA, May 20 (Reuters): Cuban authorities said the fiery crash of an aging Boeing passenger jet on Friday shortly after takeoff from Havana had killed 110 of the 113 on board, making it the Caribbean island's deadliest air disaster in nearly 30 years.

Flags flew at half-mast in Cuba on Saturday, marking the start of two days of national mourning while authorities worked to recover evidence from the site of the crash and to identify the crash victims.

Fifteen have been identified so far and one black box retrieved, officials said.

Allegations of previous safety complaints against the little-known Mexican company called Damojh that leased the nearly 40-year-old Boeing (BA.N) 737 to Cuban flagship carrier Cubana also began to surface.

Meanwhile, Cuban authorities told a news conference on Saturday at Havana airport that 99 of the passengers killed on the domestic flight to the eastern city of Holguin were Cuban, while three were foreign tourists - two Argentines and a Mexican - and two were Sahrawi residents in Cuba.

Six Mexican crew members were also killed.