The plane, a Boeing 767-300 bound for Cairo, disappeared from radar screens 55 minutes after taking off from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. There were 217 people on board . I wish to join other world leaders and sympathizers everywhere in expressing deep sorrow and profound sympathy over this terrible tragedy, and offer condolences to the bereaved families, relatives and friends of all those on board whose lives ended so tragically. I would also like to commend the ongoing joint search and rescue operation by the officials of the Governments of the United States and Egypt, to establish the cause of the plane crash and identify the victims. Statement on cyclone in India Thousands of people died, 1.5 million were left homeless and more than a third of the state s 35 million population have been left in a state of anguish and devastation following a powerful cyclone which hit the Indian state of Orissa, in the Bay of Bengal, over the weekend.
Reports describe a grim picture of death, suffering and destruction.
Worst affected were the people who had very little to begin with, and who are now left in a hopeless situation. Judging from the scale of the destruction, it is obvious that human beings are helpless against forces of nature, such as cyclones, hurricanes or earthquakes. This latest disaster is proof enough that, despite years of persistent international efforts in disaster prevention, their number and cost continue to rise. Less than two weeks ago, on 13 October, the United Nations observed World Disaster Reduction Day, which highlighted the importance of disaster prevention. I stressed, on that occasion, the need to strengthen and broaden disaster reduction programmes in our efforts to limit the impact and costs of human suffering.