French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday that the chances of finding any survivors of the Air France jet missing over the Atlantic are "very slim".

Sarkozy was speaking after meeting relatives of the 228 passengers on board the missing plane at Paris's Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Francois Brouse, the director of communications of Air France told Xinhua's reporter at Charles de Gaulle Airport that "The most likely thing is that the plane was hit by lightning. The plane was in a stormy area with strong turbulence.

On arrival at the airport, family members of those missing refused to speak to reporters and were taken to a crisis center. Some were in tears as they arrived.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2009)