Brazil abandons search for Air France victims

Per Voice of America, the Brazilian military announced late Friday that it has ended its search for bodies from the Air France plane crash in the Atlantic Ocean. Only 51 bodies have been found of the 228 on board the May 31 flight bound from Rio de Janeiro to Paris.

ABC News reports that France is continuing a search for the black box, which may provide answers on the cause of the crash. If it is not found soon, the box’s battery will likely run out.

Twitterers in Brazil expressed disappointment about the developments.

leopinheiro (Londrina, Brazil) “Buscas por vítimas do voo 447 da Air France são encerradas” – apenas 51 corpos encontrados (”Searches for the victims of Air France flight 447 are closed” – only 51 bodies found) 26 Jun 2009 from Tweetie

SILVIOCFONSECA (Ubatuba, Brazil) O que teria acontecido na queda do Avião da Air France no Atlântico,ainda não acharam a caixa preta e sem ela nada será esclarecido… (What happened in the fall of the Air France airplane in the Atlantic, they have not found the black box and without it nothing is clear …) 27 Jun 2009 from web

cembranel (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Coitadas das famílias do Airbus da Air France foram encerradas as buscas ! (Poor families of the Air France Airbus ended the search!) 27 Jun 2009 from TwitterFox

DeniseChiara (Sao Paolo, Brazil) Brazil ends search for Air France crash victims. http://bit.ly/qREvh So sad. 27 Jun 2009 from web

Many Brazilian Twitterers also criticized media coverage, upset that Michael Jackson’s death has overshadowed the latest on the Air France tragedy.

luizdias (Araraquara, Brazil) World is much more shocked about the death of MJ than the 228 that died on the Air France Airbus crash. Tsc, tsc. Human Beings. #MJ 27 Jun 2009 from twhirl

biabalestra (Brazil) é incrível a repercussão que a morte dele tá tendo no mundo…esqueceram até do air france 447 (it is incredible the impact of his death in the world … not taking up the neglected air france 447) 27 Jun 2009 from web

liquidmaki (Saol Paolo, Brazil) Tá, 1 cara morreu. E as centenas do Air France? Hein? Sua imprensa do caralho. (Ta, 1 man died. And the hundreds of Air France? Huh? Your the [expletive] press.) 27 Jun 2009 from Tweetie

jamircalili (Brazil) As buscas ao Air France se encerram… mas MJ ofuscou qq outra coisa e nem sequer nos demos conta… (The search for Air France is finished … MJ obscured this news and it’s not even taken into account …) 27 Jun 2009 from web