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Air France plane lost over Atlantic

1st June 2009 An Air France plane carrying at least 228 people from Brazil has disappeared from radar screens over the Atlantic.

Paris Charles de Gaulle airport said contact was lost with the flight from Rio de Janeiro at 0600 GMT. Brazil´s air force confirmed the disappearance.

An airport official told AFP the Airbus 330 had been expected to arrive in Paris at 1110 local time (0910 GMT).

Another official said it was possible that the plane had a transponder problem but this was very rare.

"We are very worried," he said, quoted by AFP news agency. "The plane disappeared from the screens several hours ago."

Flight AF 447 left Rio at 1900 local time (2200 GMT) on Sunday. It had 216 passengers and 12 crew on board.

Airport authorities have set up a crisis centre at Charles de Gaulle.

Air France has opened a telephone hotline for friends and relatives of people on the plane - 00 33 157021055 for callers outside France and 0800 800812 for inside France.

BBC LINK
Air France

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