French help asked on black box hunt
11 July 2009, 19:47
Moroni, Comoros - The president of Comoros asked France on Saturday to increase efforts to find the black boxes of an Airbus 310 that crashed on its way from Yemen to Comoros last month.
President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi also asked French Prime Minister Francois Fillon during his visit to help reduce Comoros' isolation, which has been deepened by the suspension of some commercial flights from France after the June 30 plane crash.
Many of the 153 people aboard Flight IY626 were from France's Comoran community and had embarked in Paris. One 12-year-old girl survived and is now in a Paris hospital. Only 16 bodies have been recovered.
The black boxes are believed to be at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Search efforts will resume Sunday with the arrival of specialised robots that can operate under water.
"I thank France for its support," Sambi said in asking for more help to recover the black boxes that could provide clues as to why the airplane crashed.
Fillon paid tribute to Libouna Selemani Matrafi, a 43-year-old sailor who saved young Bahia Bakari, the only survivor of the crash.
"I swam 30 meters to reach her. She was too tired to swim, she hung on to me and the bateau sent me a rescue buoy," Matrafi said.
Families of crash victims will be able to travel to Comoros on two special flights for Moroni, the capital starting Monday, Fillon said. - Sapa-AP
President Ahmed Abdallah Sambi also asked French Prime Minister Francois Fillon during his visit to help reduce Comoros' isolation, which has been deepened by the suspension of some commercial flights from France after the June 30 plane crash.
Many of the 153 people aboard Flight IY626 were from France's Comoran community and had embarked in Paris. One 12-year-old girl survived and is now in a Paris hospital. Only 16 bodies have been recovered.
The black boxes are believed to be at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Search efforts will resume Sunday with the arrival of specialised robots that can operate under water.
"I thank France for its support," Sambi said in asking for more help to recover the black boxes that could provide clues as to why the airplane crashed.
Fillon paid tribute to Libouna Selemani Matrafi, a 43-year-old sailor who saved young Bahia Bakari, the only survivor of the crash.
"I swam 30 meters to reach her. She was too tired to swim, she hung on to me and the bateau sent me a rescue buoy," Matrafi said.
Families of crash victims will be able to travel to Comoros on two special flights for Moroni, the capital starting Monday, Fillon said. - Sapa-AP
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