Madrid plane crash kills 45

MADRID: At least 45 people were killed when a Spanair jet crashed on takeoff and burst into flames at Madrid airport on Wednesday, the government said, but an emergency services source reported about 150 deaths.
    A large cloud of smoke billowed up near Terminal Four from the remains of Flight JK5022, an MD-82 jet bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. It shot off the runway carrying 164 passengers and nine crew at 2:45 pm local time (8:45 a.m. EDT), according to Spanair. The government said 45 people were confirmed killed, 19 seriously hurt and 35 were unhurt.
    Newspaper El Pais quoted a government official on its website saying at least 100 people had been killed. The health service of the Madrid regional government said 26 injured had been taken to hospital, though it was unable to provide a death toll. "The (plane's) tail has broken off. It's difficult to describe the scene, because it's just a mess of metal," an emergency services spokesmen told national radio. The flight was a code-sharing operation with Lufthansa serving the Canary Islands. — Reuters

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