South Africa author Bree O'Mara dies in Libya crash

Bree O'Mara's book Home Affairs won an award voted by South Africans

South Africa's award-winning author Bree O'Mara is one of at least 10 South Africans who died in a plane crash in Libya on Wednesday.

Ms O'Mara, who also had Irish nationality, was reportedly on her way to London to sign a second book deal.

She is among 103 people killed when the plane from Johannesburg's OR Tambo Airport travelling to London's Gatwick Airport via Libya exploded in Tripoli.

Authorities have not yet released the full list of South African victims.

VICTIMS' NATIONALITIES 59 Dutch Two Libyan passengers + 11 Libyan crew members Seven South African Two Austrian Two British One German One Zimbabwean One French 17 others Source: Afriqiyah Airways

Ms O'Mara won the 2007 Citizen Book Prize for her book Home Affairs.

The award is voted for by the South African public.

"[She was an] absolutely fantastic woman who was just full of life and was trying to get to London for quite a while to do some presentations at book shows there," said Radio 702's Eyewitness News sports correspondent Les Faber, who was in her book club.

At least five of the South Africans who died in the crash were from South Africa's Gauteng province, which includes the country's main city, Johannesburg.

The only survivor when the plane crashed as it came in to land at Tripoli airport was a nine-year-old Dutch boy.