Tripoli:
A Libyan plane carrying 104 people crashed Wednesday on approach to Tripoli's airport, leaving a field scattered with smoldering debris that included a large chunk of the tail painted with the airline's brightly colored logo. A 8-year-old Dutch boy was the only known survivor.
The Dutch prime minister said everyone on the Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330-200 arriving from Johannesburg, South Africa, was killed except the child, whose survival was hailed as a miracle.
"I can confirm the crash but not the number of the dead," said Bongani Sithole, an official of the airline at Johannesburg airport. "We hear that it happened one metre (yard) away from the runway."
A Libyan security official earlier told AFP that all those on board the Airbus A330 had died but an airport official said in fact a Dutch boy had survived and been rushed to hospital near Tripoli.
There was no immediate indication of the cause of the crash, which occurred as the Afriqiyah Airways plane was landing after a flight from Johannesburg at around 6 am (9.30 IST).
"It exploded on landing and totally disintegrated," the security official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The crew members were all Libyan nationals, the official added.
An AFP correspondent said the crash site had been sealed off by security officials and ambulances and emergency vehicles were seen rushing between the airport and the capital, about 50 kilometres apart.
The wreckage could be seen in the distance but no plumes of smoke were evident. Weather conditions were good at Tripoli this morning, with only light clouds in the sky.
Afriqiyah Airways said on its website that it operates an Airbus fleet. The airline has given its helpline number - 017831181.
It started operations with five leased planes and signed a contract with Airbus at an exhibition in Paris in 2007 for the purchase of 11 new planes, the website said.
It was founded in April 2001 and at first fully owned by the Libyan state. The company's capital was later divided into shares to be managed by the Libya-Africa Investment Portfolio.
Last June, a 12-year-old girl was the sole survivor of a Yemeni plane crash off the Comoros. (With inputs from agencies)
The Dutch prime minister said everyone on the Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330-200 arriving from Johannesburg, South Africa, was killed except the child, whose survival was hailed as a miracle.
"I can confirm the crash but not the number of the dead," said Bongani Sithole, an official of the airline at Johannesburg airport. "We hear that it happened one metre (yard) away from the runway."
A Libyan security official earlier told AFP that all those on board the Airbus A330 had died but an airport official said in fact a Dutch boy had survived and been rushed to hospital near Tripoli.
There was no immediate indication of the cause of the crash, which occurred as the Afriqiyah Airways plane was landing after a flight from Johannesburg at around 6 am (9.30 IST).
"It exploded on landing and totally disintegrated," the security official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The crew members were all Libyan nationals, the official added.
An AFP correspondent said the crash site had been sealed off by security officials and ambulances and emergency vehicles were seen rushing between the airport and the capital, about 50 kilometres apart.
The wreckage could be seen in the distance but no plumes of smoke were evident. Weather conditions were good at Tripoli this morning, with only light clouds in the sky.
Afriqiyah Airways said on its website that it operates an Airbus fleet. The airline has given its helpline number - 017831181.
It started operations with five leased planes and signed a contract with Airbus at an exhibition in Paris in 2007 for the purchase of 11 new planes, the website said.
It was founded in April 2001 and at first fully owned by the Libyan state. The company's capital was later divided into shares to be managed by the Libya-Africa Investment Portfolio.
Last June, a 12-year-old girl was the sole survivor of a Yemeni plane crash off the Comoros. (With inputs from agencies)
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