Lufthansa: Cargo plane in accident in Saudi Arabia

[July 27, 2010]  RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- Lufthansa airlines said one of its cargo planes was involved in an accident Tuesday in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh and Saudi witnesses and an airport official said it caught fire and crashed on landing.

Riyadh airport official Fahd al-Hamoud said the plane caught fire as it was landing, crashed and split in two halves. He said the pilot and co-pilot were lightly injured and were rushed to hospital. There was no further word on casualties.

A Deutsche Lufthansa AG spokeswoman at the airline headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany said the plane did not crash but was involved in an accident. The spokeswoman, who declined to be named in line with company policy, said she could not yet provide further details.

The Arab satellite TV channel Al-Arabiya aired live footage from the airport showing the plane on fire and black smoke billowing into the sky.

[Associated Press; By ABDULLAH AL-SHIHRI]

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