RUSSIA: SEARCH GOES ON AT PLANE CRASH SITE AS FRENCH EXPERTS ARRIVE IN SOCHI
Channel One TV, Moscow
4 May 06
[Presenter] The active phase of the operation on the A320 crash
site [in the Black Sea] has begun. The search was in progress even
throughout the night. The Russian Emergencies Ministry’s vessels
specially equipped for working in dark hours went out to sea to collect
from the water surface all fragments of the plane and the bodies of
the passengers. Our correspondent Roman Melnik has the details.
[Correspondent] A depth of 500 m. is out of divers’ access. There
is complete darkness there and a terrible pressure of 50 atm. Only
submersibles can shed light on the crash site.
[Igor Levitin, captioned as Transport Minister] Submersibles have
already arrived. They are being prepared for working in the search
area.
[Correspondent] The main task of those who are working at sea is to
locate flight recorders from the crashed plane. First, rescue workers
pinned their hopes on lifting the plane’s tail section. However,
these hopes were never justified – the black boxes have not been
found so far. The flight recorders are fitted out with radio beacons
which can facilitate the search. Airbus experts have already arrived
in Sochi from France to help carry out the search. Fragments of the
aircraft covering, which have risen to the surface with an oil slick
that appeared after the crash, are drifting to the north towards
Tuapse and Novorossiysk. [Passage omitted: technical details]
[Levitin] The weather forecast leads us to hope that we will be able
to use helicopters and the equipment that we have failed to use so far.
[Correspondent] The work with relatives of the crashed plane’s
passengers is under way. The Moskva hotel has become the centre of
people’s grief. Investigators from a prosecutor’s office are working
with the relatives gathering information necessary for initial
identification. Also, psychologists are helping these people, trying
not to leave them alone in this tragedy.
[Armen Smbatyan, Armenian ambassador to Russia] I have felt that
state brotherly support does exist in the world. What we saw here
is very precious. I am very grateful to the Russian authorities
and all organizations who carry out the coordination here. This is
real support.
[Correspondent] The tragedy has brought over 300 people to
Sochi. No-one of the plane’s 113 passengers has survived. There are 49
bodies in the city morgue. The identification procedure is to resume
this morning.
There is no comment from the operational headquarters on the causes of
the crash as there is too little information. After the prosecutor’s
office has denied the theory of a terrorist attack, there remain
three main theories: weather conditions, equipment malfunctions and
the human factor, i. e. the crew’s mistake.