Bro Habib, The Gambian who survived is a friend and brother working at the ADB. We continue to pray for them. Basil On Mon, 31 Jan 2000 20:05:15 -0800 "Habib Ghanim, Sr" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > May Allah grant those who did not make it eternal peace > Amen > > Habib > > "Omar E. Njie" wrote: > > > This is from the CNN Web Site [http://www.cnn.com} > > > > Omar Njie > > ============================================= > > > > Kenya Airways says 10 rescued after jetliner crash > > > > A survivor is brought ashore by a rescue boat > > > > 82 bodies recovered; dozens more missing > > January 31, 2000 > > Web posted at: 2:00 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > In this story: > > > > Most on board were Nigerians > > > > Airline has good safety record > > > > RELATED STORIES, SITES > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (CNN) -- Kenya Airways officials said Monday that at > > least 10 people survived the Sunday night crash of an Airbus A310 carrying > > 179 people. Rescuers have recovered 82 bodies from the crash scene in the > > waters off the Ivory Coast but the fate of the rest of those on board > > remained unknown. > > > > Kenya Airways Flight 431 plunged into the Atlantic shortly after takeoff > > from the airport in Abidjan, the Ivory Coast capital, bound for Lagos, > > Nigeria. > > > > "It broke up on impact. It broke into 100 pieces, said medical worker Alain > > Thonar. > > > > One survivor, Samuel Ogbada Adje, said the plane started having problems as > > soon as it became airborne. "It wasn't quite balanced, and the next thing we > > knew we were in the water," Adje said. He managed to swim out of the > > wreckage, but said the rescue effort had been a disaster. > > > > "If they had come sooner, a lot of us would have been saved. We waited two > > hours for people to rescue us," Adje said. > > > > Witnesses said fire could be seen in the water for about 30 minutes after > > the crash. > > > > Soldiers from the Ivory Coast were involved in the rescue effort. French > > officials said Monday one of their military helicopters and a marine > > battalion based nearby were assisting. > > > > A relative of a crew member awaits news in Nairobi, Kenya > > > > Most on board were Nigerians > > > > Kenya Airways set up two phone numbers, in Nairobi, Kenya, and in London, to > > provide information for relatives of those who were on board the plane. > > > > An emergency response team was dispatched Monday from London to assist the > > operation. But at Lagos airport, relatives of passengers complained they > > were getting no information. > > > > Airline officials said the majority of the 168 passengers and 11 crew > > members on board Flight 431 were Nigerians. Other nationalities on the plane > > included U.S., Canadian, French, Italian, Dutch, British, Japanese, Indian, > > Madagascarian, Rwandan, Senegalese, Gambian and Kenyan. > > > > "The last information we had is that we have been able to identify two > > American men by their passports which appear on the manifest," said a > > spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. > > > > Authorities said the survivors included four Nigerians, two Rwandans and one > > each from France, India, Madagascar and Gambia. > > > > An airport official said senior Kenya Airways officials were also on board > > the plane. > > > > The flight began in Nairobi and had been scheduled to stop in Lagos en route > > to Abidjan. But strong winds forced it to head directly for Abidjan, said > > Steve Clarke, the airline's technical director. > > > > "It was an irregular routing because of bad weather," Clarke said told a > > news conference in Nairobi. "Some people are dead because they didn't stop > > in Lagos." > > > > Airline has good safety record > > Sunday's crash was the first fatal accident for Kenya Airways, which is > > owned partly by the Kenyan government and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. The > > airline has a good safety and maintenance record and is considered a model > > airline in Africa by industry observers, aviation journalist Nicholas > > Ionides said. > > > > Aviation experts and airline officials from Nairobi were headed for Abidjan > > on Monday to assist in the crash investigation. France has sent > > investigators, and Airbus officials will aid the crash probe as well. > > > > KLM spokesman Hugo Baas said two KLM employees may have been among the 10 > > crew members on the flight. He said the local government had asked the > > military to assist in locating survivors. > > > > "It's too early to make any statements on the cause," Baas said. "The airway > > has a good name in safety standards." > > > > The plane was one of four Airbus A310s owned by the airline. Because of > > their age, they were scheduled to be replaced within two years. > > > > Kenya Airways flies from Abidjan to Lagos three times a week. > > > > Nairobi Bureau Chief Alphonso Van Marsh, The Associated Press and Reuters > > contributed to this report. > > > > ______________________________________________________ > > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > > Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L > Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- B.M.Jones [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------