DAY OF MOURNING CALLED BY TWO PRESIDENTS
Middle East North Africa Financial Network, Jordan
from United Press International UPI
May 3 2006
YEREVAN, Armenia, May 3 (UPI) — The presidents of Armenia and Russia
have declared Friday a day of mourning after the crash of an Armenian
airline in which 113 people of both nations died.
Armenia’s President Robert Kocharyan expressed his condolences
Wednesday morning to those who had lost loved ones and promised that
authorities would make every effort to discover the causes of the
accident, RIA Novosti reported.
Armenian Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan will head an investigation
into the crash, the presidential press service announced.
The Armavia Airline A-320 Airbus crashed into the Black Sea early
Wednesday in stormy weather while approaching the southern Russian
resort town of Sochi.
All 105 passengers and eight crew members reportedly were killed.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said there were
at least 26 Russians on board, RIA Novosti reported.
The plane sank more than 1,300 feet below the surface, an official
with Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said. Thirteen ships from
the ministry were among 23 vessels working at the scene Wednesday
morning. As of late morning Wednesday, 25 bodies had been recovered.
Viktor Beltsov, an official with the ministry, said the cause of
the crash would only be known after the plane’s flight recorders
were recovered.