BRUSSELS, Nov 27: Next year’s Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City will be protected by a 50-mile (80 km) no-fly zone and intruding aircraft risk being shot down, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge said.

In an interview with Belgian weekly Humo published Tuesday, Rogge gave an insight into the unprecedented security measures that will be taken at the Games in February following the September 11 attacks on US cities.

“In terms of security we’ve taken all possible security measures. But nobody can predict a 100 percent safe outcome,” Rogge said.

“A 50-mile no-fly zone has been installed around Salt Lake City with interception possibilities,” Rogge said, adding that unauthorised planes could be shot down if necessary.

“The people in Salt Lake City will be better protected than the people outside the city,” Rogge added.

Thousands of people were killed when hijacked airliners crashed into the World Trade Center in New York and Pentagon in Washington in September, sparking retaliatory US-led strikes on Afghanistan.

Rogge and other high ranking Olympic officials were due to meet US President George Bush in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the security plans for the Utah Games.

“There are 15,000 security officers for 10,000 athletes. The safety budget amounts to $370 million,” Rogge said.—Reuters