• 13
  • May
    2010

A young boy from Holland (alternately reported to be eight, nine and ten-years-old) was the only survivor in a tragic plane crash on Wednesday that killed 103 passengers and crew members. The plane, an Airbus 330-200 operated out of Libya, had left from Johannesburg and was scheduled to stop in Tripoli before flying on to London's Gatwick Airport.

The plane crash occurred as the pilot was coming in to land, and photos taken at the crash site show the nose of the plane to be almost completely disintegrated. Aviation experts have speculated that the Airbus 330-200 may have landed short of the runway, and many acknowledge that the landing markers at Tripoli's airport are not exactly ideal.

Libyan authorities were quick to rule out a terrorist attack, and the recent discovery of the plane's black box should reveal more clues to the deadly crash. However, no one should expect an official report on the plane crash to be released anytime soon. An official release is likely months away.

As for the young survivor of the crash - he remains in a Tripoli hospital recovering and is reported to be in stable condition. He was found strapped to his seat by emergency responders and further evaluation uncovered severe leg fractures, for which he underwent more than four hours of surgery.

Though bruised and bleeding, he did not suffer any head or brain injuries and may even return to Holland by the weekend. The boy's parents and older brother were among those believed to have perished aboard the plane.

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