Number of Lebanese plane crash victims increases
Lebanon-Benin, Local, 12/27/2003

Benin's foreign minister, Ro Ghasian Beyao, announced that the total number of the Lebanese in the crashed plane that was heading for Beirut increased to 133 killed persons, while number of survivors is 22.

In a press conference, the Benin foreign minister said that the plane was carrying 161 persons, including the 10-crew member of the plane. Aid was given to 24 survivors, but two of them died because of their wounds, noting that 16 Lebanese are among the survivors.

He explained that the wounded persons who are able to bear travel will leave with the Lebanese foreign minister Jean Obeid, who had arrived at Cottono with a delegation including a medical team and divers, while the bodies of the victims will be returned back later, according to international norms.

However, the search process is ongoing near Cottono's coast on the Atlantic Ocean to find bodies of the victims. Some rescue men in the area indicated of the small possibility to finding other survivals. Many peoples who arrived at the coast on Christmas spoke of a slow rescue operations, stressing that most of the victims and the bodies were taken out of the plane by passers by or local fishermen.

To this effect, and in statements quoted by the national agency for the media, the Lebanese minister of transport, Najib Meiqati, said that the Lebanese civil aviation authorities refused several months ago to license passengers for the company which owns the plane, because it did not meet the required technical standards. He said that the African transport federation company is owned by Lebanese expatriates and was registered in Guinea.

However, the Guinean minister of transport denied in press statements that the plane is owned by a Guinean company, and they had asked for a license from the Lebanese government, confirming that the plane is eligible for flying.

He admitted that the company asked the Guinean administration in charge of civil aviation affairs to license it for aviation, and after then, set conditions were met.

Previous Stories:
  100 passengers killed, 20 rescued in plane crash heading from Benin to Lebanon   (12/26/2003)
  Imprisonment sentences against 27 Lebanese attacked American interests   (12/22/2003)
  Lebanon launches vast campaign against drug trafficking   (12/8/2003)

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