02/06/2009

Little Hope For Irish Passengers As Air France Wreckage Found

Debris from a plane believed to be the missing Air France Flight 447 has been found floating in the ocean some 400 miles north-east of Brazil, the Brazilian Air Force has revealed.

While it has been confirmed by Aer Lingus that two of its employees were on board the Air France flight that disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, there now seems to be little hope for any of the passengers of the mid Atlantic airplane disaster.

It took a local NI turn on Tuesday with news that a young doctor - who was also a talented Irish dancer who came from Co Down - was among the people onboard the Air France airliner which disappeared on Monday.

The debris, including seats from the plane and metallic objects, may confirm the worst fears of relatives of the 228 people on board the doomed flight.

Air Force spokesman Jorge Amaral said the seats were spotted by search planes early this morning but that authorities have not yet confirmed they were from the plane.

The NI woman, Eithne Walls, who is in her late 20s and from Ballygowan in Co Down worked in the Dublin Eye and Ear Hospital and is feared killed with all the other passengers and crew.

She was travelling home from holiday with two other friends, both doctors.

Aisling Butler, from Roscrea, Co Tipperary, and Jane Deasy from Dublin are also missing on the flight from Rio to Paris.

The plane vanished over the Atlantic after flying into turbulence en route from Brazil to Paris.

The Airbus sent an automatic message at about 2.15am on Monday, four hours after leaving Rio de Janeiro, reporting a short circuit. It is believed it may have suffered lightning damage.

It had 216 passengers and 12 crew on board, including three pilots. The passengers included one infant, seven children, 82 women and 126 men.

Five of the missing passengers are from Britain.

Ms Walls was also a talented performer and had also spent a year with the show, Riverdance on Broadway, New York, before studying medicine at Trinity College, Dublin.

See: Aer Lingus Staff On Board Lost Air France Flight

See: Irish Doctors On Board Missing Plane

See: Debris Found In Search For Missing Plane

(BMcc)

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