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| Brazil says debris from crash jet | Brazil says debris from crash jet |
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| Debris spotted by planes in waters 650km (400 miles) off Brazil's coast belongs to a missing French airliner, the Brazilian government has confirmed. | Debris spotted by planes in waters 650km (400 miles) off Brazil's coast belongs to a missing French airliner, the Brazilian government has confirmed. |
| Defence Minister Nelson Jobim said he had no doubt the debris was from the Air France jet carrying 228 people. | |
| A Brazilian search plane saw a band of wreckage along a 5km (3m) strip, Mr Jobim told reporters in Rio de Janeiro. There was no report of survivors. | |
| Flight AF 447 was heading from Rio to Paris when it was lost early on Monday. | Flight AF 447 was heading from Rio to Paris when it was lost early on Monday. |
| See a map of the plane's route | See a map of the plane's route |
| The discovery of the debris confirmed "that the plane went down" in the area, Mr Jobim said. | The discovery of the debris confirmed "that the plane went down" in the area, Mr Jobim said. |
| He gave few details of the wreckage, saying only that it included metallic and non-metallic pieces. | He gave few details of the wreckage, saying only that it included metallic and non-metallic pieces. |
| Earlier, Brazil's air force said it had spotted an airplane seat, an orange buoy and signs of fuel. | |
| Mr Jobim's words will come as grim confirmation of the worst for the families waiting for news both in Paris and Rio, the BBC's Gary Duffy reports from Brazil. | |
| If it is confirmed that all 228 people on Flight AF 447 are dead, it will be the worst loss of life in Air France's history. | |
| Ships on hand | |
| Naval boats are due to arrive in the crash zone on Wednesday, while three merchant vessels are already in the area, the Brazilian defence minister said. | |
| Our only certainty is that the plane did not send out any distress call Francois FillonFrench prime minister Grief and fear in Brazil In pictures: Search continues Did storm down missing plane? | Our only certainty is that the plane did not send out any distress call Francois FillonFrench prime minister Grief and fear in Brazil In pictures: Search continues Did storm down missing plane? |
| If any bodies are found, they will be transported by ship to the nearest airport, on Brazil's archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, he was quoted as saying by AFP news agency. | |
| The defence minister warned that the recovery of the plane's cockpit voice and data recorders could be difficult because of the depth of the ocean. | |
| "It could be at a depth of 2,000m or 3,000m [6,500ft-9,800ft] in that area of the ocean," he said. | |
| He made the announcement after visiting relatives of those aboard the flight, who were being looked after in a Rio hotel by teams including psychological and medical personnel. | |
| France is also sending a research ship equipped with two mini-submarines to the disaster area. | |
| Distress call mystery | |
| Most of the missing people are Brazilian or French but they include a total of 32 nationalities. Five Britons and three Irish citizens are among them. | Most of the missing people are Brazilian or French but they include a total of 32 nationalities. Five Britons and three Irish citizens are among them. |
| TIMELINE Flight AF 447 left Rio at 1900 local time (2200 GMT) on SundayAirbus A330-200 carrying 216 passengers and 12 crewContact lost 0130 GMTMissed scheduled landing at 1110 local time (0910 GMT) in Paris class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/8077304.stm">Timeline of Flight AF 447 class="" href="/1/hi/world/2008892.stm">Air disasters timeline class="" href="/1/hi/world/europe/8078203.stm">Mystery of Air France flight class="" href="/1/hi/world/americas/8079001.stm">What's being said on the web | |
| French President Nicolas Sarkozy will attend a religious service for the families and friends of the missing passengers and crew at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, on Wednesday. | French President Nicolas Sarkozy will attend a religious service for the families and friends of the missing passengers and crew at Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, on Wednesday. |
| Prime Minister Francois Fillon told the French parliament that the cause of the plane's loss had still to be established. | Prime Minister Francois Fillon told the French parliament that the cause of the plane's loss had still to be established. |
| "Our only certainty is that the plane did not send out any distress call but regular automatic alerts for three minutes indicating the failure of all systems," he said. | "Our only certainty is that the plane did not send out any distress call but regular automatic alerts for three minutes indicating the failure of all systems," he said. |
| Experts remain puzzled that there were no radio reports from the Airbus and they say that such a modern aircraft would have had to suffer multiple traumas to plunge into the sea, the BBC's Adam Mynott reports from Paris. | Experts remain puzzled that there were no radio reports from the Airbus and they say that such a modern aircraft would have had to suffer multiple traumas to plunge into the sea, the BBC's Adam Mynott reports from Paris. |
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