President Jacques Chirac will go to the Caribbean French island of Martinique next Wednesday to attend a ceremony in memory of the 152 French victims who died in the Colombian jetliner crash on Tuesday, his office announced on Friday.

The crash of the US-made McDonnell-Douglas MD-82 killed all the 160 people on board, including 152 French passengers and eight Colombian crew members. The mishap, taking place in Venezuela, wasthe deadliest in French aviation disasters.

The Colombian charter plane, owned by West Caribbean Airways, had been carrying the French passengers back home to Martinique after a week-long vacation in Panama.

France's Accident Investigation Bureau has been charged to takethe leading role in decoding the plane's "black boxes" to determine the causes of the crash. Colombian, Venezuelan and American experts are joining their efforts.

France has already started a homicide inquiry into the crash to determine responsibilities.

Source: Xinhua