June 30, 2009 Girl Survives Yemenia Crash

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By Russ Niles, Editor-in-Chief

Officials searching for an Yemenia Airways A310 that crashed near the archipelago of Comoros early Tuesday have found a 12-year-old girl who survived the accident. She was swimming amidst debris and bodies and is believed to be the only survivor. She is reported to be conscious and stable in hospital. The aircraft was carrying 142 passengers and 11 crew and reportedly went down after an aborted landing attempt at Moroni Airport. Two French military aircraft and a ship departed the Indian Ocean islands of Mayotte and Reunion early Tuesday to assist in search and recovery. Weather in the area at the time of the crash was stormy, with high seas. The aircraft was enroute from Sana'a in Yemen to the Comoros Islands, off the coast of Tanzania. Comoros is about halfway between Madagascar and Africa.