Latest Channel 4 News:
Eight die in Pakistan bomb attack
Queen leading tribute to war dead
Admirer steals a kiss from Camilla
US House passes Obama health bill
US shooting suspect off ventilator

Yemen air crash survivor flown to Paris

Updated on 02 July 2009

By More4 News

The only known survivor of a Yemeni plane which crashed into the Indian Ocean has arrived back in France.

Entrance of Yemenia Airways company in Paris (credit: Reuters)

The twelve year old girl Bahia Bakari arrived on a government plane to be met by her father, who lives near Paris. Her mother died in the crash along with 153 other passengers when the Sanaa to Comoros flight went down in bad weather.

Bahia, who can barely swim, clung on to floating debris for twelve hours before being rescued. She was taken to a hospital in Paris.

"I was in the dark. I couldn't see anything."

Earlier her father, Bakari Kassim, told French TV channel i-Tele he had spoken his daughter by telephone:


"I asked her what happened and she said 'We saw the plane fall in the water. I found myself in the water. I was hearing people speak but I couldn't see anyone.

"I was in the dark. I couldn't see anything. Daddy, I couldn't swim very well. I grabbed on to something but I don't know what'."

Send this article by email


Watch the Latest Channel 4 News

Watch Channel 4 News when you want

Latest Middle East news

More News blogs

View RSS feed

West Bank settlers

Shira Gilad

Meet the English woman in the Israeli settlement.

Most watched

Most watched

Find out what's getting people clicking online this week.

Watch More4 News

Watch the
best reports from the More4 News team.




Channel 4 © 2009. Channel 4 is not responsible for the content of external websites.