BODIES OF 47 VICTIMS IN A-320 PLANE CRASH IDENTIFIED

ITAR-TASS, Russia
May 10 2006

MOSCOW, May 10 (Itar-Tass) – The bodies of 47 victims as a result
of the crash of an airplane A-320 near Sochi have been identified,
the information department of the Emergencies Ministry told Itar-Tass
on Wednesday. “Four victims of this tragedy could not be identified
so far,” the information department said, adding that “during the
search operation rescuers managed to find only 51 bodies.” The crashed
airplane A-320 was carrying 105 passengers and eight crewmembers.

“Large parts of the airplane could not be recovered from the water,”
a source in the operational headquarters of the search operation
deployed in Sochi told Itar-Tass. However, the search operation
does not stop. Last weekend the special equipment was supplied from
France that allows examining the sea bottom and setting the accurate
coordinates of the flight recorders. “This equipment will be installed
on the sea tugboat “Navigator” on Wednesday,” the source said.

As many as 571 people, 27 vessels and one helicopter are involved in
the search operation, he pointed out.

The airbus A-320 belonging to the Armenian airline Armavia has
crashed in the Black Sea during another attempt at landing in the
Sochi airport overnight to May 3. The catastrophe claimed the lives of
113 people. According to the latest reports, 51 bodies were recovered
from the water. A Russian transport emergency airplane Il-76 brought
the bodies of 36 crash victims to Yerevan.