Comoros: Remains not human
2009-07-10 13:25
Moron - Remains discovered by Comoran fishermen and thought to be from passengers of the Yemenia jet that crashed off the island last week are not human, officials said Friday.
"We brought (the remains) to Moroni to be analysed by specialists. Comoran doctors and French pathologists found that they are not human," said Ismael Mogne Daho, head of emergency operations for the downed craft.
Fishermen on Thursday said they had spotted body parts off a village north of the archipelago's main isle of Grande Comore and Red Cross officials dispatched a team to the area to investigate.
"Three whales got stranded in the area recently and were decomposing," Daho added. "We believe these are remains of the whales."
Other officials confirmed the remains were from whales.
Analysis is under way to determine whether 22 bodies that washed up on the shores of a Tanzanian island are from the victims of the doomed Yemenia Airbus.
The Yemenia jet plunged into the ocean before landing in Moroni with 153 people on board. Only one person survived.
- SAPA