Yemeni official: Yemenia Air plane bound for Comoros in Indian Ocean crashes

Yemen official: Comoros-bound plane crashes

SAN’A, Yemen — A Yemenia Air plane going from the Arabian Peninsula country of Yemen to the island nation of Comoros crashed in the Indian Ocean early Tuesday, a Yemen airport official said.

The official said the plane was going from the Yemen capital San’a to Moroni, on the main island of Grand Comore.

It was not known how many passengers were on board the Airbus 310 or the status of the passengers and crew.

The official said most of the passengers on the plane were believed to be Comoros residents returning from Paris. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The Comoros is an archipelago of three main islands situated about 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometer) south of Yemen, between Africa’s southeastern coast and Madagascar.

In Paris, a crisis cell was set up at Charles de Gaulle airport.

According to preliminary information from Paris Airports press service, a Yemenia Air Airbus 330 flew on Monday from Paris to San’a, with 147 passengers and 11 crew on board.

After landing in the Yemeni capital, the passengers disembarked and those destined for Comoros switched planes. Sixty-seven of the original passengers were flying on to Moroni, according to the press service.

It was unclear how many more passengers boarded the Airbus 310 in San’a and if the crew was changed as well.

Paris Airports said the plane Monday from Paris also stopped in the French city of Marseille, which has a large Comoros community. There, it picked up additional crew, but Paris Airports would not say whether more passengers embarked in Marseille.

In France, this week is the start of annual summer school vacations. France’s RMC radio, speaking with a local journalists in Comoros, said there were families on board the aircraft.

____

Associated Press Writer Deborah Seward in Paris contributed to this report.