KUN0031 4 GEN 0357 KUWAIT /KUNA-RAT5 CMS-LEBANON-BENIN-PLANE-MOURNING Lebanon declares two-days of mourning over victims of Benin plane crash BEIRUT, Dec 27 (KUNA) -- Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik Al-Hariri declared a two-day mourning period in Lebanon over the victims of the Benin plane crash. The declaration calls on all flags to be flown at half-staff for two-days on all government facilities and Lebanese embassies all over the world. The last death toll to reach Lebanon indicated that the number of dead from the plane crash is 133 and 22 missing, mostly Lebanese citizens. The plane crash took place in the small west African state of Benin on Christmas Day. The plane's passengers were mostly Lebanese expatriates heading home for the holidays. Early this morning a Middle East plane flew from Cotonou to carry home to Lebanon 17 survivors of the crash of the Boeing 727 operated by Union des Transports Africains (UTA). Lebanese Foreign Minister, Jean Obeid who was on the plane said that the survivors included 14 Lebanese, two Syrians and one Palestinian. The UTA flight, which originated in the Guinean capital Conakry and stopped in Freetown, Sierra Leone before picking up passengers in Cotonou, was bound for Beirut before heading to its final destination, Dubai. Obeid said the plane faced difficulties because it was overloaded with 166 passengers and eight tons of extra cargo. He added that the Lebanese army diving team is still in Cotonou to continue rescue efforts and identify remains. Obeid said that the remains of the victims will be flown back to Lebanon within the next three days and pointed out that the reason the remains were not with him on the Middle East flight is because the Benin authorities requested the bodies be put in coffins made of lead. He said that the bodies will be transported by French C-130 planes. The injured passengers were taken to a number of hospitals in Beirut and three of the injured are in critical condition. The Lebanese Minister of Health had issued directions that all those injured aboard the plane were to be treated at the expense of the ministry. (end) bas.kf KUNA 271141 Dec 03NNNN