The family of a Northern Ireland man, who survived a plane crash near Libya which killed at least 23 people, have spoken of their joy that he is alive.

Stewart Bonar, 59, from Limavady in County Londonderry escaped with broken bones, cuts and bruises after a Belfast-built Shorts 360 aircraft plunged into the sea on Thursday.

Rescuers are continuing to search for survivors after the aircraft crashed on a flight from the Libyan capital, Tripoli, to an oil refinery.

The Foreign Office have confirmed that five Britons are among the dead.

Mr Bonar who is from Limavady was among the 41 passengers on the doomed flight, in which two of his workmates perished.

His wife Olive told BBC Radio Ulster: "He had a lot of X-rays taken and he's very, very upset and very annoyed about his two mates that he travelled with all the time. They are both dead.

"I asked him how he got out. But really he didn't want to talk about it. He just said: I'm alive and I am so glad to be able to ring you."

She spoke of an anxious wait by the telephone for news of her husband but then a tremendous sense of relief when she got word of him on Thursday night.

"It was a really dreadful night," she said. "Then a friend who worked with Stewart rang me to say he was alright. He was in hospital and he was alive.

"We just have to wait to hear whether he'll be home and what his injuries are. Thank God, he doesn't seem to be seriously injured but it's still very worrying."

Mr Bonar, who worked in a gas plant, was based in Libya for the last 30 years and regularly flew along the same route.

His wife said that rescuers were talking about trying to salvage the wreckage of the plane, and added that all the passports belonging to those on board were missing.

Mr Bonar's sister Valerie Buchanan said the family were "very relieved".

She added: "And yet we keep thinking of people who were lost on the flight."



Eighteen people have so far been rescued from the sea where the Shorts 360 aircraft made an emergency landing.

The plane was the last but one of a batch of 164 manufactured over a period of eight years and was delivered to Swiss-based company Avisto in 1990.

A spokesman for Shorts confirmed the company had made the plane involved in the crash and has offered to help with investigations into the crash.

Ken Brundle, the vice president of Shorts, said: "We have offered assistance to Avisto, the operator, and also through the Foreign Office, to the Libyan government and to the accident investigation people so that we can assist in determining the cause of the accident."

He added: "The 360 has an excellent safety record and about 118 are still registered for operation."

Bombardier Aerospace, the parent company of Shorts, have issued a statement expressing their "deepest sympathy" to the families and friends of those killed in the accident.

Aircraft leased

According to Avisto, the aircraft had been leased to Sirte Oil Co in Libya to transport workers between its headquarters and various oil fields.

"There were 38 passengers of various nationalities as well as two pilots and one flight attendant on board," the company said in a statement.

"The accident happened around 1135 GMT during a flight from Tripoli to Marsa el-Brega. According to our information, the plane made an emergency landing in the water for unknown reasons shortly before landing in Marsa el-Brega," it said.

Engines failed

A Swiss official said shortly before Marsa el-Brega airport, the pilot reported that both engines had stopped working.

"The plane hit the water just off the Libyan coast and sank," Swiss Transportation Ministry spokesman Hugo Schiltenhelm said.

Swiss officials say they are sending an air accident investigator to Libya