Mozambique to mourn over plane crash

Mozambican Minister of Transport and Communications, Gabriel Muthisse on Saturday expressed condolences over a plane crash the previous day killing all the 33 people on board. "In the name of the government of Mozambique we want to express our condolences to the affected families for this sad incident, and we also want to thank the governments of Namibia, Botswana and Angola and also to the rescue team for the effort put to locate and identify the airplane" said the minister. Muthisse told a press conference in the capital Maputo that after gathering enough information the country will declare national mourning. "Soon as all necessary conditions and objectives are reached the government will declare national mourning" said Muthisse. No survivors were reported in the crash in northeast Namibia. Among the victims were six crew members and 27 passengers including a Chinese national, a French, a Brazilian, five Portuguese, nine Angolans and 10 Mozambicans. Mozambique Airlines said the Brazilian-made Embraer 190 did not land as scheduled at 1310 GMT in the Angolan capital Luanda, after it took off from Maputo at 0926 GMT.