PARIS, June 1 (RIA Novosti) - An Air France plane
carrying 228 people from Brazil to Paris that went missing over
the Atlantic Ocean on Monday sent a message reporting an
electrical short, French radio said.
France Info reported that the automated message, sent at
0214 GMT after the airliner hit turbulence, was the last
contact with the flight, which took off from Rio de Janeiro at
2200 GMT on Sunday. Neither civilian nor military radars have
been able to locate the aircraft.
Air France authorities in Paris have said the airplane
could have been hit by lightning.
France's Foreign Ministry and Air France have not yet
released the list of passengers or their nationalities.
The Brazilian air force has begun search efforts near the
archipelago of Fernando de Noronha 350 kilometers (218 miles)
to the northeast of the Brazilian mainland, the last location
the airplane was in contact with ground controllers.
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