140+ People Dead in Madrid Plane Accident

A Spanair plane carrying 172 people has crashed soon after take off at the Madrid airport Barajas. Reports suggest that the plane's left engine caught fire during or immediately after take-off. Flight JK 5022, bound for the Canary Islands, was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82 with 175 on board, including 6 crew and two children.

Spanair is a subsidiary of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS). SAS attempted to sell its shares in Spanair in 2007 but cancelled the sale two months ago when bids failed to match expectations. McDonnell Douglas was the junior partner in the 1997 merger with Beoing to create the Boeing Company.

Currently, the death toll is believed to be over 140 with 26 survivors.

CORRECTION: Article incorrectly stated there were 175 passengers, there were actually 172 passengers on board the plane.