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At least forty-five reported killed as Spaniar flight catches fire on take off at Barajas Airport in Madrid
By h.b. - Aug 20, 2008 - 4:38 PM

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With the latest reports coming from Barajas Airport in Madrid saying that only 23 of the 166 passengers and crew are known to have got out of a crashed Spanair plane alive, the death toll is set to rise dramatically, possibly to more than 140.

At least 45 people are reported to have been killed in a plane accident at Barajas Airport in Madrid. The number comes from official sources at the Ministry for the Interior, with the number of injured now being given as ‘dozens’. However the El Mundo website put the number of dead at over 50, and there are also reports that only 21 of the people managed to get off the plane, and they are said to be in a critical condition.

Spanair flight AJK5022 destination Las Palmas, Gran Canaria is thought to have caught fire when preparing for take off from Terminal Four. The flight was code-shared with Lufthansa LH 255.

First reports indicate that the plane had started to burn during the take off manoeuvres, with the problem centred on a left hand engine. It seems a previous attempt at take off was aborted, with the plane finally crashing at the end of the runway after the tragic second attempt. There were a reported 160 passengers and six crew on board at the time. The Spanish Airport Authority AENA has declared a state of emergency at the airport. The burning plane has led to a large column of smoke over Barajas airport which has now been closed.
11 fire tenders are reported to be at the scene. One of the rescue workers has spoken of burnt out bodies remaining inside the plane.

Spanair has now given an emergency phone number for those who are concerned about members of their family - 800 400 200.