KARACHI: Nineteen passengers and four members of the crew were killed when [an Air India] Bombay-bound Dal(ota crashed in flames on the sea-beach, a mile from Korangi seaplane base, on Saturday [Dec 27] evening. There were no survivors. This first disaster in the history of commercial aviation in the Indian sub-continent occurred 20 minutes after the plane had taken off from Drigh Road Airport. A deafening explosion accompanied by a blinding flash of light, shook the entire Korangi seaplane base area and sent BOAC staff running out of their barracks into the open.

One officer saw a huge flaming ball coming down rapidly from an altitude of about 7,000 feet. Soon the ill-fated Dakota started disintegrating in the air. Then with a tremendous roar the plane hit the earth. The fuselage was smashed into more than half a dozen pieces.

Only the front portion with engines and the charred bodies of Captain Derry, Pilot, and coPilot Talyar Khan, stood where the plane fell. ..

The BOAC staff rang up the police and rushed first-aid to the place of the tragedy. The entire wreckage area was cordoned off, after driving off the jackals which had rushed to the spot looking for likely prey. Dawn staff correspondent