CAIRO — A Dutch boy was believed to be the sole survivor Wednesday after a passenger jet bound from South Africa crashed with 104 people aboard while attempting to land in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, according to Libyan and Dutch officials.
The Afriqiyah Airways Airbus 330 was making a final approach to Tripoli International Airport about 6:10 a.m. on a flight from Johannesburg that was scheduled to continue on to Gatwick Airport in London. The Royal Dutch Tourism Board said 61 of the victims were with two tour groups from the Netherlands.
Libya’s Transport Minister Mohammed Zidan said a 10-year-old boy with a Dutch passport was from taken from the crash site.
“The child is in good condition and is in the hospital undergoing checks,” the minister said at a news conference at the airport. The boy reportedly underwent surgery for breaks in both legs and other injuries.
Terrorism ruled out
The cause of the crash, which occurred under a clear sky, is under investigation. Libyan officials quickly ruled out the possibility of terrorism.
The plane’s manufacturer, the France-based Airbus, said in a statement that “preliminary reports indicate that the aircraft crashed short of the runway threshold during approach.”
Authorities said the plane’s voice and data recorders had been found amid the shattered fuselage and scattered debris, luggage and clothing.
The jet was carrying 93 passengers and 11 crew. Ninety-six bodies had been recovered. Other victims were from Britain, South Africa and Libya.
Investigators from Airbus and France’s Bureau of Investigations and Analyses arrived in Tripoli to assist Libyan authorities. The European Aviation Safety Agency said three recent safety checks found the plane had no serious problems.
Airbus assisting probe
Afriqiyah Airways, which bills itself as a link between Africa and Europe, undergoes frequent inspections. The nationally owned Libyan airline was founded in 2001 and flies a fleet of 11 planes, all Airbus models.
“Airbus will provide full technical assistance to the authorities responsible for the investigation into the accident,” an Airbus statement said. “The concerns and sympathy of the Airbus employees go to the families.”
The Flight 771 tragedy marks the second crash of an Airbus 330 in less than a year. On May 31, an Air France plane bound from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, killing 228.
On Wednesday, Libyan TV showed rescue workers fanning over a clay-colored field strewn with splintered trees, airline seats and the plane’s broken tail section. Other video showed the injured boy lying in a hospital bed.
Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said the Dutch were in shock over losing so many of their countrymen: “This is a large group of Dutch nationals . . . so it’s a deeply sad message we have this day.”
