Posted: 03 June 2009 0537 hrs
A French military crew flying over the Atlantic Ocean in search of a missing Air France jet.
RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil's government confirmed late on Tuesday that debris spotted by aircraft in the Atlantic Ocean came from a missing Air France flight that had been carrying 228 people when it vanished without a trace.
Defence Minister Nelson Jobim told a media conference in Rio de Janeiro "there are no doubts" that jet fuel slicks and debris, including a seat from a plane, were from flight AF 447, which had been flying from Rio to Paris on Monday when it went missing.
The debris was scattered over a five-kilometre area, he said, "confirming that the plane fell at this spot."
Jobim said three merchant vessels were in the debris zone and the first of several Brazilian navy vessels would arrive on Wednesday.
"They will start the work to recover these items that were spotted" on Tuesday by Brazilian air force planes, he said.
If any bodies were found, they would be transported by ship to the nearest airport, on Brazil's archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, 460 kilometres away. From there, they would be flown out on air force planes, he said.
Jobim made the announcement after visiting relatives of those on board the flight who were being looked after in a Rio hotel by teams including psychological and medical personnel. - AFP/de
From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.
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