BRUSSELS, May 25: An American-owned Boeing 747 cargo plane crashed as it took off at Brussels airport on Sunday and broke in two, but the five-strong crew escaped without injury, airport officials said.

The jumbo jet came to rest at the end of the runway some 500 metres from housing in the Brussels suburb of Zaventem after the crash, which occurred at 1130 GMT.

The massive four-engined jet belonged to Kalitta Air, airport spokeswoman Tru Lefevere said.

The five-strong crew were all Americans, and the plane was bound for Bahrain.

No obvious cause for the crash was immediately apparent and an inquiry has been opened.

“It seems that the plane must have suddenly left the runway as it was attempting take-off, and crashed. It was perhaps a technical problem, but we don’t know,” Lefevre said.

“There are no injuries even though the five people on board have been taken to hospital,” Lefevre added, noting that one of them was in a state of shock.

Officials said the crash had not affected air traffic, but the rail link between the airport and the centre of the Belgian capital had been suspended.—AFP