Comoros Yemenia crash - bodies found

Six bodies from Yemenia plane crash found in Indian Ocean

Article published on the 2009-08-23 Latest update 2009-08-23 10:57 TU

A helicopter searching for the plane in the Indian Ocean, July 2009
(Photo: Reuters)

The bodies of six of the 152 people who died in the plane that crashed on its way to the Comoros islands on 30 June have been found along with wreckage from the aircraft. A French vessel that has been trying to retrieve the plane’s black boxes since last week found the bodies and the wreckage in the Indian Ocean.

"The bodies of six victims have been found," said the head of the commission investigating the crash, Ali Abdou Mohamed, in a statement released to reporters. "Pieces of the wreckage have been found" and "the search continues".

The French ship EDT ARES was dispatched on 20 August to the Indian Ocean to try to retrieve the plane’s flight recorders which were located on 6 August in water estimated at 1,200 metres deep.

An investigation team lead by the Comoros and including officials from Yemen and France are still trying to determine the cause of the accident.

The plane, operated by Yemenia, crashed on its way from France to the Comoros, via Yemen, with mostly Comorian and French passengers on board. Only one person survived the crash.

Protesters have denounced the state of the comany's planes, which had concerned European safety inspectors.