BOMBAY: Forty-five people, including 13 of the USA`s leading journalists, died today [July 12] when a Dutch Constellation, losing its way in a raging monsoon over Bombay`s Santa Cruz Airport, plunged into a hillside, tumbled over into the rice fields below and burned to ashes. ...

Rescue workers trudged for two hours through drenching rain and torrential mountain streams to find all the occupants burnt, mutilated or destroyed beyond recognition.

The plane the Franeker was chartered from the Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) to take the party of journalists to Amsterdam on their way back to the USA from a tour of Indonesia. It put them down at New Delhi yesterday where they had a talk with the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The party was taken to Indonesia by the ill-fated KLM Constellation [R]oemond which crashed at Bari last month on its way back, killing 33.

The Franeker carried 35 passengers and a 10-man all-Dutch crew. The pilot tried to land at Santa Cruz but the plane was caught in the torrential rain. He climbed a little and circled over the airport. Then the control tower lost touch with him... .