HAVANA May 18 (Xinhua)--The First Secretary of ruling Cuban Communist Party Raul Castro recovers from a surgery to remove a hernia, a government release said.

Castro, 86, sent condolences to the family members of the victims of the plane crash on Friday noon near the Havana International Airport Jose Marti, according to a note broadcasted by the national television on Friday night.

"Raul recovers satisfactorily from a recent surgical intervention, scheduled in advance to remove a hernia, and keeps aware of the situation and has given the necessary indications," said the note.

Last April, the Cuban political leader handed over the presidency of the country, after 10 years in office, to his then First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who was elected by direct and secret voting by over 600 deputies of the People's Power National Assembly (unicameral parliament).

The aircraft, a Boeing-737 of the Mexican company Damojh, leased by Cubana de Aviacion, crashed with 104 passengers aboard minutes after taking off from the Havana airport.

It crashed in an agricultural area close to Santiago de las Vegas, nearby the airport.

Only three women survived. One of them died hours later while receiving medical assistance in the hospital, and the other two remain in serious condition.

The list of passengers has not yet been disclosed, but among them are five foreigners. The Embassy of Argentina in Havana confirmed two citizens of the South American nation.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel visited the area of the accident and ordered an in-depth investigation into the causes of the disaster.