22 killed as Cuban aircraft crashes

A Russian-made Cuban commercial jet crashed into the side of a mountain near the Venezuelan city of Valencia, killing all 22 …

A Russian-made Cuban commercial jet crashed into the side of a mountain near the Venezuelan city of Valencia, killing all 22 people on board, authorities said yesterday.

There was no immediate explanation for Saturday night's crash, which was the state-owned Cubana de Aviacion airline's second major accident in less than a week.

Among the dead were 10 passengers - four Venezuelans, four Cubans and two Dutch. The 12-member crew was presumed to be all Cuban.

The small Valencia airport, about 160 km west of the capital, Caracas, has been heavily used by international flights recently because the country's main international airport near Caracas has been closed because of the floods.