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Forensic analysis indicates Air France Flight 447 did not blow up

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-13 11:38

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The preliminary forensic analysis made in some of the rescued bodies of Flight 447's passengers shows that they did not suffer any burns, said local daily O Globo published on Friday.

Journalists look at debris of the missing Air France flight 447 at the Air Force base in Recife June 12, 2009. [Agencies]

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According to the daily, the absence of burns indicates that the Air France Airbus did not explode, and reinforces the theory that the plane disintegrated in the air. The daily also stated that most bodies were found without clothes, which could have been taken by the wind during the fall.

The causes of the Flight 447's accident have yet to be found. Investigators in France are working with several theories, but the results of the autopsies on the passengers' bodies may help narrow down the possibilities, especially if the search teams are not able to find and retrieve the plane's black box.

The search for bodies and debris from the plane continues on Friday. There is still no sign of the black box, but more debris have been spotted, and ships are in route to the site to collect them.

No bodies have been spotted on Friday so far. On Thursday, three occupants of the plane were found, raising the total number of rescued bodies to 44.

According to Air Force, the weather conditions in the search area have improved, but are likely to worsen in the near future, which might hinder the teams' work. The Air Force stressed, though, that the search efforts will continue despite the bad weather.

A total of 840 military from the Brazilian Air Force and Navy participate in the search efforts for the Flight 447. The Air France plane disappeared over the Atlantic last week, during a Rio-Paris flight, with 228 people on board.