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17:38 GMT, Wednesday, 1 July 2009 18:38 UK

'Miracle' of Comoros crash girl

Baya Bakari

The uncle of 12-year-old Baya Bakari, the only survivor of Tuesday's plane crash near Comoros, says her escape is "a miracle of God".

Abdou Ali visited his niece in hospital last night after she was discovered floating in the Indian Ocean, clinging to the wreckage of the Yemenia Air flight.

Her mother, Mr Ali's sister-in-law, is among the 152 people aboard the flight believed to have died in the crash.


"

I saw Baya last night in the hospital.

She is conscious, speaking well. She is okay.

She was joking and laughing with the doctor. She was chatting - we laughed together.

It's a miracle. It was God's will.

"Baya didn't want to come to Comoros, she wanted to stay, but her father said she should come"


Uncle of survivor Baya Bakari

Timeline of Flight IY626

How to survive a plane crash

Black box "not found"

In pictures: Yemeni plane crash

We don't know how she managed to get out of the plane.

We are all are saying 'Hamdu Lillah'. Thanks be to God.

When we first heard the news, it wasn't from the hospital.

It was the military and the people from the Red Cross.

Then we heard it on the radio afterwards.

Thanks be to God. We don't know how she managed to get out of the plane.

But she is only one person out of so many.

In mourning

How am I feeling? I'm in mourning. The whole nation is in mourning.

Many people have died, including her mother, who was accompanying her.

They were coming here to see family - grandparents.

Baya didn't want to come to Comoros - she wanted to stay.

But her father said she should come.

Baya is coming out of hospital tonight.

She's going back to Paris, to see her father this evening.

But the doctors haven't told her that her mother died in the accident.

She has asked for her mother... but I'm not sure if she knows yet.

"




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Related to this story:
France 'banned Yemen crash plane' (30 Jun 09 |  Africa )
In pictures: Yemeni plane crash (01 Jul 09 |  In Pictures )
Timeline of Flight IY626 (30 Jun 09 |  Africa )
Ties that bind: Comoros and France (30 Jun 09 |  Middle East )
Country profile: Comoros (09 Dec 09 |  Country profiles )
How to survive a plane crash (01 Jul 09 |  UK )

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Yemenia Air
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