RESCUE craft and helicopters were searching for survivors early this morning following the crash of a TWA jumbo jet shortly after takeoff from Kennedy Airport on Long Island.
Witnesses reported a huge explosion before the aircraft with 249 passengers and 32 crew plunged into the sea about 10 miles south of Long Island. Flight 800 had taken off for Paris when the explosion occurred.
President Clinton was in formed of the crash and said that "our thoughts and prayers are with those on the flight and with their families".
Coast guard and pleasure craft converged on the area where there are reports of bodies and debris. From the reports of the explosion it seems unlikely that there would be any survivors.
The first reports of the explosion came about 8.40 pm local time.
Experts said that from the reports of the explosion it appeared to have been caused by a bomb on board the aircraft.
One Eye witness described a "big white flash like fire works followed by an orange fireball".
"We have not yet found any survivors but there are lots of bodies." a coast guard spokesman said. The darkness was making it extremely difficult to find people. "But we are carrying out a massive search in the hope of finding survivors. We will stay out there searching until we can no longer search, the spokesman said.
There was some mist over the water at the time.
One eye witness, Ms Eileen Daly, said. "I saw a white flash in the sky then an orange fireball. The plane appeared to break in two and fell into the water.
Another eye witness, Mr Mike Gilligan, said. "I Looked up and saw a glowing ball, it got brighter then it burst into the wildest fireworks display I have ever seen. Then I heard an explosion."
Experts said the explosion may have been caused by a bomb or an internal fire which spread to the fuel tanks of the plane.
Security at US airports had been stepped up in the last week because of the Olympic Games which begins at the end of the week.