At least 68 people died when a Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 crashed seconds after takeoff in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei, during a typhoon yesterday. Authorities fear the death toll could reach 100.
A further 27 people from among the 159 passengers and 20 crew on board the Los Angeles-bound flight SQ006, remained unaccounted for, according to figures released by Chang Kuocheng, deputy director of the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
There were 68 people being treated in hospital, while 16 escaped injury, the official said.
Taiwan's Prime Minister, Mr Chang Chun-hsiung, said he feared the death toll could eventually reach 100. "I feel very sad because there are many casualties," he told a news conference. "There are 179 people on board and maybe 100 people dead."
The SIA Boeing 747-400 crashed seconds after takeoff at 11.18 p.m. (1518 GMT) during a storm and exploded in flames.
"The flight commander reported hitting an object on the takeoff run," the airline said in a statement. Windshear was also a possible cause, officials and witnesses said.
The airline did not confirm any deaths, but a spokesman in Los Angeles said there had been 68 injuries and the cockpit crew had escaped unscathed.
There were 159 passengers and 20 crew aboard the flight.
It was the second crash at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in Taipei in just over two years, and the first fatal accident for Singapore Airlines, established in 1972. A Boeing 737 belonging to SIA subsidiary SilkAir crashed in Indonesia in December 1997, killing 104.
Survivors of Tuesday's crash said the plane began to shake seconds after takeoff. Then an explosion blew debris through the cabin and the plane crashed back down to the tarmac.
"And then there were flames just all over the place. Flames shot up right next to me and some some poor fellow not very far from me got I guess jet fuel splashed on him, because he just lit up like a torch," said Mr John Diaz, from New Orleans. American Richard Maneth (39), said he walked from the aircraft unaided.
"I could feel the aircraft shaking during takeoff," he said. "A few seconds after, the aircraft rolled to the left side. Flame was coming from the left side - I could see some people were burned, but I was not sure if they were dead."
Television footage showed one side of the jet's front had been destroyed. The rear end of the aircraft and tail loomed out of the smoke on the tarmac.
"Many of the injured suffered burns, and several were in shock," said a doctor at a local hospital, adding that the victims reeked of jet fuel.
Chiang Kai-shek International Airport has been shut down, and all flights in and out cancelled.
It was the first major crash in Taiwan since 1998. In February that year, 202 people were killed when a China Airlines Airbus A300-600R crashed in the island's worst aviation disaster.
Typhoon Xangsane, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 k.p.h. (80 m.p.h.) and gusts of up to 165 k.p.h. (103 m.p.h.), brought steady rain to Taiwan throughout the night of the accident.
An Irish woman escaped last night's Singapore Airlines crash with minor injuries.
The woman, who was in her 40s, sustained injuries that were not life threatening, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs said early this morning.
Earlier a Singapore Airlines official had confirmed to The Irish Times an Irish citizen had reserved a place on the flight.
The emergency line for people concerned their relatives may have been aboard the flight is (0065) 542 3311.