A Spanair plane has suffered an accident when taking off from Madrid to Gran Canaria, causing more than a hundred deaths according to the newspaper El Mundo. The ship, which was traveling with more than 160 passengers on board, went off the runway when, apparently, one of the left engines caught fire.
At this time, the emergency services are still working in the area to extinguish the flames of the plane, which was still burning in the middle of a large column of smoke, and to rescue the passengers, since there are still many trapped inside. So far, according to information from El Mundo, the death of more than a hundred people has been confirmed, while some 27 have been able to leave, although with various injuries.
Spanair has confirmed through a statement that flight number JK 5022, which covered the route from Madrid to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is "a code-shared flight with Lufthansa 255".
In said statement, the company explains that "a code share" occurs when "two or more airlines establish their flight number in the programming for the same flight, while only one of the airlines operates it".
Spanair states that "it is providing full support to the Spanish authorities in these difficult times" and hopes to offer more information "as soon as it has it".
In addition, the airline has enabled the telephone number 800400200 so that users and relatives of the occupants of the plane that crashed at Barajas airport are "informed at all times".
