France repatriates 100 Europeans from Mumbai

Paris, Nov 29 (DPA) A special aircraft carrying about 100 Europeans left Mumbai for Paris, the French foreign ministry has confirmed.

Also travelling on the plane, which was expected to land in Paris Saturday afternoon, were 10 members and employees of the European Parliament.

A French couple that had been staying in the Oberoi Trident Hotel when terrorists struck Mumbai were killed in the attack, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Friday.

After expressing his condolences to the families of the victims, Kouchner said in a statement, 'I renew my total support, that of France and that of the European Union (EU), for the Indian authorities and to the Indian people in this terrible trial, which we will overcome together.'

Kouchner spoke on behalf of the EU because France currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

RTL radio had reported that the bodies of the French couple were among 24 corpses found in the hotel when Indian commandos seized control of it from the attackers. The couple found dead were later identified as Loumia Hiridjee, 46, the founder of French lingerie brand Princesse tam.tam, and her husband, Mourad Amarsy.