AF
447
Brazil views terrorism as possible
cause
of Air France crash
(portuguese
text)
IRKUTSK, June 24 (RIA Novosti) - Brazil's
special forces are investigating all possible causes
of the Air France crash in the Atlantic, including a
terrorist attack, the country's intelligence chief said
on Wednesday.
"We are thoroughly examining the circumstances
of the plane crash. The security services of many countries
have been holding consultations with us. We are investigating
all possible versions of the crash, including a terrorist
attack," Wilson Roberto Trezza told an international
meeting of security services in Russia's East Siberian
city of Irkutsk.
However, the official said: "currently we have
no signs proving the possibility terrorist attack on
board the plane."
Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris was
carrying 228 passengers and crew when it lost contact
with ground controllers on June 1 about four hours into
the flight. The crash is the worst in the airline's
75-year history, and the world's worst for almost a
decade.
A total of 50 bodies out of 228 have been recovered
from the crash site 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) off
Brazil's northeast coast in the Atlantic Ocean. Eleven
bodies have been identified.
Although there has been no confirmed information on
the cause, authorities said autopsies performed on the
bodies showed that there had been no explosion or fire
on board the aircraft.
Rescuers hope to find the Airbus's black boxes that
could hold clues as to the cause of the crash.
Le Monde said earlier the naval ships had located signals
from the flight data recorders of the Air France airliner
in the Atlantic. However, officials later denied the
reports, saying that the signals did not come from the
sonar transmitters attached to the flight recorders.
|
