Shocked relatives gather at Dominican airport

A woman is comforted at the Santo Domingo airport on Monday, following the news that Flight 587 crashed.

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (CNN) -- Hundreds who gathered at the Santo Domingo airport Monday wept, hugged each other and begged for information on relatives who were on American Airlines Flight 587 when it crashed in New York City.

"My God!" said Miriam Fajardo, crying as she found out that her sister, Norma Lilian Baloi, was traveling with her three sons on board Flight 587. "I haven't seen them in eight years, and now they're gone."

Germania Brito, whose sister was flying with her husband and their 2-year-old son, also was waiting at Las Americas International Airport.

"Not the three of them! Please let it not be those three!" Brito said.

EXTRA INFORMATION Airlines release partial victims list     VIDEO: Firefighters, residents respond Witnesses describe crash  MORE STORIES Final minute 'a very wild ride' Chat: Probing Flight 587 Sailor back from war killed in crash Fact Sheet  INTERACTIVE: Gallery 1 | Gallery 2 Flight 587's final seconds A300 tail assembly Crash site map Tracking the wakes  RESOURCES: Airline releases victim list

"Not the child, please, not the child," she begged. "May God help us all."

Elsewhere, a Dominican army officer whose brother was on the flight was seen crying in a hallway.

Officials at the Santo Domingo airport set aside a private area for relatives awaiting word. Many relatives who arrived hadn't heard of the crash, and some fainted and were treated by paramedics.

Ellis Perez, a spokesman for airport management, said American Airlines was making all necessary arrangements to assist family members of those on Flight 587.

Dominican Republic President Hipolito Mejia said about 150 Dominicans were on the flight, which crashed Monday morning shortly after taking off from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Mejia, who was in touch with the Dominican consulate in New York, said he was profoundly saddened by the crash.

The Dominican Republic shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with Haiti.