BRUSSELS: A giant trans-Atlantic jet airliner plunged into a field and burst into flames as it was coming into land at Brussels airport yesterday, killing 73 people. Eye-witnesses said the Boeing-707, belonging to the Belgian Sabena Airlines and on a flight from New York, suddenly lost height, turned sharply, and crashed and exploded in a village northeast of Brussels proper.

The airliner was crying 61 passengers and a crew of 11. Sabena officials said there were no survivors. The other victim was a farmer, who was hit by the airliner as he was working in the field. Another farm worker had his leg torn off and was in a serious condition.

Among the 61 passengers killed in the crash were 49 Americans, seven Belgians, one French woman, one Swiss, one Nicaraguan, one German and one Canadian.

Among the American dead were the members of the US skating team going to Prague, including North American figure skating champion Miss Laurence Owen.

It was the seventh biggest air disaster in history so far as the number of those killed is concerned and the second Sabena airliner to crash in three years. On May 18, 1958, 65 persons were killed when a Sabena plane crashed at Casablanca, Morocco.

The Boeing was one of Sabena’s fleet of five. It came into the Brussels control area 15 minutes late and lost radio contact just before the crash, a control tower spokesman said. The plane had earlier left on its way to New York.

Protesters break into UN Council

UNITED NATIONS: A total of 21 persons were injured, 18 of them United Nations guards, in the disturbances which occurred in the UN Security Council chamber yesterday when a group of American Negro demonstrators broke into the premises.

A UN Secretariat spokesman said this was the most serious incident of its kind that had ever occurred at the UN. The public was turned out of all parts of the UN building immediately after the incident and the gates were closed.

The public will also be kept out of the UN premises today. It is the first time that such a decision has been taken as a precautionary measure.