A small Cuban plane crashed today in unexplained circumstances, killing 17 people, Cuban authorities said.
A Foreign Ministry official said that according to initial information, six Canadians, five Britons, four Cubans and two Germans had died in the crash.
The plane, belonging to state airline Aerotaxi, went down during the afternoon on an air route between the southern coastal town of Cienfuegos and the northern resort island of Cayo Coco, aviation sources said.
An official at Cuba's Civil Aviation Institute confirmed the crash, although he put the number at about 14 or 15 people on board including three crew members and the passengers.
"There was an accident at 4.30 p.m. (9.30 p.m. Irish time) . . . we still have no news of any survivors," the official said.
The Foreign Ministry official said an official statement on the accident would be issued later this morning.
