TRIPOLI, Libya — A 10-year-old Dutch boy lay in a hospital bed, head bandaged, skin pale, and legs shattered — the lone “miracle’’ survivor of a plane crash yesterday that killed 103 people in the Libyan capital. Most victims were Dutch tourists returning from vacation in South Africa....
The Libyan jetliner crashed minutes before landing after a more than seven-hour flight across the African continent from Johannesburg. Little remained of the Afriqiyah Airways Airbus aside from its tail, painted with the airline’s brightly colored logo....
In a field near the airport runway, little was left of the Airbus A330-200. Dozens of police and rescue workers wearing surgical masks and gloves combed through the wreckage, removing wallets, cellphones, and other debris, some of it still smoldering. At least one body was seen being carried away.
All I can think of, dear readers, is where was the plane in Shanksville, Pa., on 9/11.
No tail, nothing.
Video footage showed a flight recorder and green seats with television screens on them. The plane’s tail displayed the numbers “9.9.99’’ — a reference to the African Union founding.
Libya’s transport minister, Mohammad Zaidan, said the plane’s two black boxes had been found and turned over to analysts. He said the cause of the crash was under investigation, but authorities had ruled out a terrorist attack.
Flight 771 was carrying 93 passengers and 11 crew, Afriqiyah Airways said in a statement, but did not release a list. The Royal Dutch Tourism Board said 61 of the dead came from the Netherlands; others were French, German, South African, Finnish, British, and Libyan.
Johannesburg is popular with Dutch tourists and the flight came when many Dutch schools were closed for the spring break.--more--"
"Bruised, legs broken, lone plane crash survivor recovering; 9-year-old had gone with family on S. Africa safari" by Tarek El-Tablawy, Associated Press | May 14, 2010
TRIPOLI, Libya — The Dutch family's Libyan-owned jetliner was minutes from landing in Tripoli on Wednesday after a more than seven-hour journey across Africa when it crashed into a sandy field at the edge of the runway, killing 103 people....
Aside from the tail, little was left of the Afriqiyah Airways plane....
But there WAS DEBRIS -- unlike on 9/11!
--more --"
Poor kid; his family is gone and he is now an orphan.
"Investigators were gearing up to begin work on determining the cause of the crash. Most of those on board the flight from Johannesburg were Dutch tourists.
--more--"
