Downed Spanair flight- Over 150 killed

Karachi News.Net
Wednesday 20th August, 2008

The death toll from a passenger plane crash at Madrid's Barajas airport currently stands at 153, which may alter if any of the critically injured survivors dies.

Nineteen people survived when the plane swerved off the runway whe the left engine caught fire as the Spanair flight took off for the Canary Islands.

Helicopters dumped water on the burning plane and some 70 ambulances attended.

Spain's development minister told a news conference that investigators had ruled out foul play and considered the crash an accident.

Emergency vehicles have been at the site but most of the identifiable dead have now been removed.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero cut short his holiday in the south of the country to visit the scene of the crash.

According to Spain's airport authority, Aena, the plane had been due to take off at 1300 but its departure had been delayed.

No details of the nationalities of the passengers on board have yet been released.

Local emergency service officials say that there were many children among the victims.

The plane was a codeshare flight with German airline Lufthansa.

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