Mexican firm suspended after Cuban plane crash
Mexico City, May 22: Mexico's civil air authority has suspended the operations of a company that owned the plane which crashed in Cuba killing 111 people. It is the country's deadliest air disaster in 30 years.
The charter company, Aerolineas Damojh, had leased the airplane in question to Cuban state airlines Cubana de Aviacion, and is under "extraordinary verification", the BBC reported quoting an official statement as saying on Monday.
The crash on Friday killed 110 people immediately after taking off from the Havana airport, while one more died on Monday, bringing the total death toll to 111.
The plane was reportedly built in 1979. One former pilot said it had dropped off the radar once earlier, while another alleged that the maintenance was poor, the BBC reported.
The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) statement said the authority will seek information to help the crash investigation, and whether the Mexican company continues to follow regulations.
It said Aerolineas Damojh was subject to previous investigations -- in 2010, due to a crash in Puerto Vallarta, and in 2013 following a complaint from an airline pilot.
The authority has run "annual checks" on Aerolineas Damojh, the statement read, with the most recent in November 2017, the BBC said.
Two women survived the crash -- Mailen Diaz, 19, and Emiley Sanchez, 39 but according to reports they are in critical condition.
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Five suspects held for alleged murder of Congress activist Ganesh Gowda in Chikkamagaluru
Chikkamagaluru: Five activists of BJP and Bajrang Dal were arrested by the Sakharayapatna Police for alleged murder of Congress activist and Sakharayapatna Gram Panchayat member Ganesh Gowda (38) on Friday night, following a fight over a banner.
Three of the arrested men, Sanjay, Bhushan and Mithun, are known to be BJP members.
An argument broke out between two groups in Sakharayapatna of Kadur taluk two days ago regarding a banner for observation of ‘Datta Jayanti’. The argument continued and intensified into a fight on Friday night near a bar in the village. Shortly later, at around 10:30 pm, a group of eight miscreants on motorbikes is learned to have stopped Gowda, who was traveling in a car on the Kalmurudeshwara Mutt Road and attacked him with lethal weapons.
A seriously injured Gowda reportedly died on the spot.
One of the suspects, Sanjay, was also injured in the attack and is being treated at the Chikkamagaluru Mallegowda District Hospital.
Sakharayapatna Police have registered a case and are investigating.
Chikkamagaluru Superintendent of Police Vikram Amte has said that, as precautionary measure, security has been beefed up in the village.
“While four special teams have been formed for investigation, five of the suspects have already been taken into custody. We are still probing the incident,” he added.
