- Title: INDIA: SAUDI ARABIAN BOEING 747 AND KAZAKHSTAN AIRLINER COLLIDE IN MID-AIR
- Date: 12th November 1996
- Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (NOVEMBER 12, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV NIGHT EXTERIOR INDIRA GANDHI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 0.10 2. LV OFFICIALS GATHERED AROUND DESK 0.14 3. CU PASSENGER LIST FOR SAUDI BOEING 747 INVOLVED IN COLLISION 0.24 4. LV PASSENGERS IN TERMINAL WITH LUGGAGE 0.28 5. SV GATEWAY SIGN WITH SAUDI AIRLINES LISTED 0.33 6. LV DEPARTURE BOARD WITH NO DEPARTURES LISTED 0.36 7. LV PASSENGERS MILLING AROUND IN THE AIRPORT (3 SHOTS) 1.11 8. SV GATEWAY SIGN WITH AIRLINES LISTED 1.16 9. LV PASSENGERS AROUND DEPARTURE GATE FOR SAUDI AIRLINES 1.33 10. LV INTERIOR NEWS CONFERENCE 1.51 11. SV DIRECTOR GENERAL OF INDIAN CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT H.S. KHOLLA SAYING THESE ARE THE FACTS OF THIS UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED AT 1840 HOURS (LOCAL TIME) TODAY. THE SAUDI AIRLINER RETURNING TO DHARAN FROM DELHI AND WAS CLEARED TO CLIMB TO A HEIGHT OF 14,000 FEET. THE KAZAKH AIRLINER HAD BEEN CLEARED TO DESCEND TO 15,000 FEET ON THE SAME ROUTE. THE RADAR BLIPS OF BOTH AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARED SEVEN MINUTES AFTER THE SAUDI AIRLINER LEFT NEW DELHI. POLICE HAVE SIGHTED WRECKAGE NEAR VILLAGE OF TIKAN ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTH WEST OF DELHI/ POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING, HOSPITALS HAVE BEEN INFORMED (ENGLISH)/ JOURNALISTS ASKING QUESTIONS 5.54 12. LV PRESS CONFERENCES 5.57 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 27th November 1996 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEW DELHI, INDIA
- City:
- Country: India
- Reuters ID: LVA88NCBIGKIPAENRE82S7HE83ML
- Story Text: INTRO: It is feared that as many as 350 people may have been killed when two aeroplanes collided in mid-air near the Indian capital, New Delhi.
A Saudi Arabian Boeing 747 plane collided with a Kazakhstan airliner on Tuesday (November 12), over Jhajhar in the Rohtak district of Haryana state which borders New Delhi.
There are reports that there were more than three hundred people on board the Saudi plane. The Kazakhstan plane -- a Tupolev TU-154 -- was thought to be carrying 39 passengers. The number of casualties on the ground was not immediately known.
The Director General of the Indian Civil Aviation Department, H.S. Kholla said the Saudi plane had been told by air traffic control in New Delhi to climb to 14,000 feet (4,270 metres), while the Kazakhstan plane was told to descend to 15,000 feet (4,580 metres) on the same route.
The Saudi plane had just taken off and was heading for Dharan when the crash happened.
The Kazakhstan plane was heading towards the Indian capital from Chinkent in Kazakhstan.
If the toll is confirmed, the air disaster will be among the world's five worst for loss of life and the worst involving two aircraft in flight.
Initial reports were sketchy but first reports said the wreckage of the two aircraft was spread over a wide area.
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