HAMMARSKJOLD KILLED IN AFRICAN CRASH

Press, Volume C, Issue 29623, 20 September 1961, Page 15

HAMMARSKJOLD KILLED IN AFRICAN CRASH

Survivor Tells Of Several Explosions

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, September 19. The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr Dag Hammarskjold, and 12 others were killed when their aircraft crashed in central Africa yesterday.

The United Nations had grounded all its chartered planes in the Congo, pending an investigation of the crash, Transair of Sweden revealed in Malmo, Sweden, last night. Transair owned the plane in which Mr Hammarskjold met his death, B.U.P. reported.

No official reason has yet been put forward for the crash, which occurred about eight miles from Ndola, Northern Rhodesia, but unofficial reports range from sabotage to speculation that the four-engined plane was shot down by a Katanga jet fighter.

Mr Hammarskjold was on his way to Ndola for Katanga cease-fire talks with President Tshombe, of Katanga, but the aircraft did not arrive, although it was believed to have briefly circled the airport. The scorched wreckage was found hours later after an air and ground search.

There was only one survivor, a security guard, who has told investigators Mr Hammarskjold had instructed the pilot to alter course away from Ndola shortly before the crash, which was preceded by several explosions. The survivor. Sergeant Harold Julian, an American member of the United Nations security force, said a series of smaller explosions had followed one big explosion. Sergeant Julian is in Ndola Hospital, eight miles from the crash scene, with severe burns covering a third of his body. Doctors said he had a fair chance of survival. His story of what happened aboard the fatal aircraft was given to United Nations officials. Earlier a European police officer at Mufalira, about 30 miles from Ndola, reported he had seen a series of “flashes” in the sky. Reuter said. The DC-6 had crashed

through trees, hit the ground at high speed and disintegrated. Two of its engines still have not been found.

Mr Hammarskjold’s body was among six found scattered around the wreck. The others were discovered buried among the smoking debris. The Associated Press, quoting Congolese sources, said three Belgians and' a Congolese were arrested- last night and accused of passing on information concerning United Nations flight plans. Investigations have opened at Ndola and Leopoldville into the cause of the crash. United Nations officials in Leopoldville said they did not exclude the possibility that Katanga’s two jet planes were either directly or indirectly responsible for the crash. But officials rejected suggestions that Mr Hammarskjold's plane had been shot

down and that an unidentified aircraft had circled Ndola airport on Sunday night. Mr Hammarskjold’s plane had circled the airport. they said. The body of Mr Hammarskjold and the 12 other dead lay in Ndola hospital mortuary while discussions took place on funeral arrangements.

Mr Jacques Poujoulat, the Swiss personal assistant to the United Nations chief representative in the Congo (Mr Sture Linner), said in Leopoldville that investigations had been opened into the repairs carried out on Mr Hammarskjold’s DC-6 aircraft on Sunday. Mr Hammarskjold boarded the plane at Leopoldville although another was being prepared for his trip, after it had limped back from Elisabethville with one of its engines knocked out by anti-

aircraft fire. It was learned the engine had been repaired and the DC-6 was given a complete check before it took off on its last journey. Experts of the Swedish Aviation Board left Stockholm today To conduct an investigation into the crash. The plane had a Swedish crew of five.

(Tributes to Mr Hammarskjold: page 9.)