Egyptian Airliner Crashes; 87 Die

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31943, 21 March 1969, Page 11

Egyptian Airliner Crashes; 87 Die

f.V.Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

CAIRO, March 20.

A United Arab Airlines Ilyushin 18 carrying pilgrims from Mecca crashed and exploded in flames at Aswan airport, upper Egypt, early today, killing 87 of the 101 people aboard, authorities announced.

Fourteen others aboard the plane were injured, three seriously, the Health Minister (Mr Abdou Sallam) said as he left Cairo Airport for [ the disaster scene.

It was the worst recorded air crash involving an Egyptian airliner.

The Minister said the seven members of the crew were among the dead.

The plane crashed at the hilltop airport a few miles from the Aswan dam as it was landing in darkness. Reports from the scene said a wing-tip hit the ground before the plane exploded in flames. Wreckage and charred bodies were flung 800 yards. The four-engine turbo-prop Ilyushin 18, in service with the United Arab Airlines only about two weeks, carried 94 pilgrims and a crew of seven.

The pilgrims, most wearing long simple white robes,

boarded the plane at Jeddah. Saudi Arabia, after visiting Moslem holy shrines at Mecca and Medina during the feast of Id U 1 Adha.

The plane was bringing the pilgrims to Aswan where they were due to spend three days in quarantine before returning to Cairo. The quarantine regulations are enforced among pilgrims for health reasons.

The 14 survivors were admitted to hospital. The Ilyushin is the second Soviet-built plane lost by United Arab Airlines within a year. An Antonov 24 airliner on charter to U.A.A. crashed in the Mediterranean south of Cyprus last August, killing all 40 aboard.

An airliner crash in Venezuela earlier this week killed 152 persons, the heaviest toll in an air crash.