.AMRITSAR DEL100
HIJACK-TAKEOFF
Hijacked plane takes off Amritsar, Dec 24 (PTI) The hijacked Indian Airlines plane took off from Raj Sansi airport here tonight with just ten to 15 minutes of fuel. PTI COR UB PAL UB 12242001
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.NEWDEL DEL104
HIJACK-TAKEOFF TWO LAST (Reopen DEL100)
The plane is hovering over Lahore airport where it had earlier been refused permission to land. MORE PTI COR UB PAL UB 12242010
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.AMRITSAR DEL103
3RD LD HIJACK
Amritsar, Dec 24 (PTI) Armed hijackers shot dead four passengers of an Indian Airlines Airbus 300 here tonight, more than two hours after they had commandeered the aircraft while on a flight from Kathmandu to New Delhi. more pti corr rkc RKC UB 12242012
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.AMRITSAR DEL107
3RD LD HIJACK TWO
The plane with 189 people on board, including 11 crew, landed at Raja Sansi airport here around 7 PM after the five hijackers permitted the plane to refuel, having been denied permission by the Pakistani authorities to land at Lahore.
The pilot of the aircraft, Capt D Saran, informed the control tower that the hijackers, armed with pistols and hand grenades, had shot dead four passengers, according to Airport Director Mulekar.
This was confirmed in New Delhi by Civil Aviation Secretary Ravindra Gupta who also stated that the plane had taken off thereafter with only a few minutes of fuel in it. MORE PTI COR UB PAL UB 12242017
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.AMRITSAR DEL110
3RD LD HIJACK THREE
The plane took off from Amritsar around 7.30 PM with its destination unclear.
There was confusion about the number of people on board the flight with some officials putting the figure at 185 and others at 192.
Most officials have put the number of hijackers at five but others said there were seven of them. Nothing was immediately known about their identity or their demands. MORE PTI COR RKC UB PAL UB 12242020
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.NEWDEL DEL113
HIJACK-LD LAND (CHANGING DATELINE)
Hijacked Indian Airbus lands in Pakistan
New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI)
The hijacked Indian Airlines Airbus landed at Lahore airport tonight, according to Union Civil Aviation Secretary Ravindra Gupta. pti ms arc skl pal JC 12242027
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.AMRITSAR DEL115
3RDLD HIJACK FOUR
Sources at Mumbai airport said the flight was delayed and left Kathmandu over two hours behind schedule. It was airborne at 1625 hrs and was scheduled to land at Delhi airport around 1725 hours instead of 1510 hours, they said.
A special cell has been opened at Delhi Airport to provide the latest information on the hijacking to the public.
Air traffic controllers at the Tribhuvan International Airport Tower in Kathmandu was quoted by AFP as saying they heard gunfire inside the Airbus.
One senior air traffic controller confirmed he heard shots fired, but could not provide further details.
As the oil tanker was proceeding towards the plane at Amritsar airport, the pilot was asked by the control tower to move the aircraft closer to the tanker, Yadav said, adding at this juncture the hijackers opened fire killing four passengers and immediately ordered the pilot to take off. MORE PTI CORR RKC MSA RKC 12242035
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.NEWDEL DEL116
HIJACK-MISHRA
Hijackers yet to be identified: Mishra
New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) The identity of the hijackers of the Indian airlines plane has not yet been established though they were said to be speaking "Hindustani", according to the Prime Minister's s Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra.
"The hijackers obviously belong to a terrorist outfit," Mishra told newsmen as he emerged from a meeting of the Crisis Management Group.
He said the pilot of the hijacked aircraft D Saran was the sole channel of communication with the hijackers.
Mishra said the hijackers killed four passengers at Amritsar airport. He said the aircraft had landed at Lahore after India had asked Pakistani authorities to allow the aircraft to land there. "The plane at Lahore airport has been surrounded by Pakistani commandos," he added. PTI ARC MS PYK AKD YY 12242041
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.NEWDEL DEL117
HIJACK-ACCOUNT
New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) Following is a blow-by-blow account of the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 which was commandeered by five heavily armed gunmen today. (all times in IST, indicate approximate timing)
16:25 - Flight IC-814 takes off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu two hours behind schedule
16:55 - The Airbus A-300 is hijacked as it enters Indian airspace and begins descent to Lucknow
18:20 - Hijacked craft enters Pakistan airspace, refused permission to land at Lahore
18:40 - Chandigarh, Jammu and Amritsar airports put on high alert
18:50 - The aircraft returns to Indian airspace
19:00 - Flight hovers over Amritsar with just 20 minutes fuel
19:10 - Hijackers agree to land at Amritsar for "immediate refuelling"
19:20 - Aircraft lands at Amritsar, surrounded by policemen
19:30 - Hijackers threaten to start killing passengers, refuelling starts
19:35 - Pilot Captain D Sharan informs ATC that hijackers had decided to start killing passengers after refuelling stopped
19:45 - Pilot informs ATC four passengers have been killed
19:49 - Plane takes off from Amritsar with barely 10 minutes of fuel
20:10 - Plane reported hovering over Lahore 20:20 - Hijacked plane lands at Lahore MORE PTI GKS PAL YY 12242053
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.NEWDEL DEL118
HIJACK-SUSPEND
India suspends flights to Kathmandu New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) India has decided to suspend flights to Kathmandu following today's hijacking of a Delhi-bound Indian Airlines flight.
"We have decided to suspend flights to Kathmandu till we can reassure ourselves of the security arrangements there,” Civil Aviation Secretary Ravindra Gupta told PTI. PTI ARC MS UB YY 12242059
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.NEWDEL DES47
HIJACK-SWAMY
Swamy demands resignation of Advani on hijacking issue New Delhi, Dec 24 (PTI) Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy today demanded resignation of Home Minister L K Advani for agreeing to negotiate with the hijackers of the Indian Airlines flight. "This shows that under the BJP-led Government India has become a soft state," Swamy told PTI, adding that fundamental international principle was to never negotiate with terrorists. PTI PYK UB YY 12242103
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.AMRITSAR DEL120
3RDLD HIJACK 5 LAST
Yadav said the plane was hijacked at 1655 hours while it was descending to land at Lucknow. He said the pilot had radioed that the hijackers were armed with grenades and pistols.
Yadav said the government was in touch with Pakistani authorities as well as Pakistani High Commissioner here Ashraf Jehangir Qazi.
The hijackers threatened to blow up the aircraft if anybody other than the fuel tankers came near the aircraft at Amritsar, airport sources said.
The hijackers said they had allowed the aircraft to land at the airport only for "immediate refuelling".
Of the passengers, 154 are Indians and 24 foreigners including eight Nepalese, four each Swiss and Spanish, and one each Canadian and Belgian. There are 106 men, 57 women, 11 children and four infants on board the plane. Of the 11-member crew, eight are air hostesses. PTI CORR RKC PAL RKC 12242107
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