Sixty-one Dutch nationals were killed in Wednesday morning’s plane crash close to Tripoli airport in Libya, according to travel organisation ANWB. A Dutch child is the sole survivor of the disaster, which happened as the Airbus 330 was approaching the airport on a flight from South Africa. In total, 104 people were aboard the flight.
The child, thought to be a 10-year-old boy has broken bones but is doing well in hospital, the doctor treating the child said. Libyan tv broadcast footage of the child in hospital with a bandaged head and breathing apparatus.
The nationalities of the other passengers has not yet been made public but includes Britons and South Africans, news agencies reported
Tour operators
According to news agency ANP, the Dutch passengers had been on holiday with travel agencies Kras.nl and Stip Reizen.
Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende told a news conference several dozen Dutch nationals were involved.
Queen Beatrix has expressed her deepest sympathies to the families of those involved.
Stopover
The Tripoli landing was a stopover en route for London Gatwick where the Dutch passengers were expected to transfer to flights home.
According to CNN, officials have recovered the plane’s flight data recorder, which investigators use to piece together a flight’s last minutes. ANP says the authorities in Tripoli have already ruled out terrorism.
Tripoli-based airline Afriqiyah operates flights to four continents and has three Airbus 330s, CNN said.