17 Killed in Cuban Plane Crash

A small plane has crashed in central Cuba, killing the 17 passengers and crew on board, including five Britons, Cuban authorities have said.

Officials at the International Press Centre in Havana said the four Cuban crew and 13 tourists - the five Britons, six Canadians, including a child, and two Germans - were killed in the crash. It is not thought there were any survivors.

The plane, a Soviet-made Antonov AN-2, went down at about 4.30pm yesterday (9.30pm GMT) near Santa Clara, 270km (165 miles) east of the capital, Havana.

The aircraft, operated by Cuban airline Aerotaxi, was on a flight between the southern coastal town of Cienfuegos and Cayo Coco, an exclusive resort in the keys stretching along the main island's northern coast.

A doctor answering the telephone in the emergency room of Santa Clara's Arnaldo Milan Castro hospital said he was among those who went out to crash site and confirmed that 17 had died. There were no survivors, he said.

The doctor, who did not give his name, said police and rescue teams were still working to retrieve the bodies late last night. It had not been decided where the bodies would be taken, he said.

The seaport of Cienfuegos, known as the Pearl of the South, looks out on to the Caribbean sea. It is an important centre for the sugar, coffee and tobacco trades, and dates back to the early 19th century, when it was founded as Villa Fernandina de Jagua.

Travel guides say the city is one of the youngest and most beautiful in Cuba. Cayo Coco, the fourth largest island in the Cuban archipelago, lies off the Atlantic coast.

The island is a haven for wildlife, and is home to wading birds such as the grey heron and pink flamingo as well as mockingbirds, pelicans and woodpeckers.

A coral reef, which is popular with divers, lies off its sandy 10-km beach. Santa Clara, which is in the heart of sugar cane country, is the capital of Villa Clara Province.

The former colonial city, which was founded in 1689, is home to one of Cuba's largest universities and boasts a bronze monument to the revolutionary Che Guevara.

Cuba has been growing in popularity as a sunshine holiday destination for Britons, with many of the leading UK tour operators offering packages to the Caribbean island.