Ban offers condolences to Spain after deadly plane crash

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is sending a letter of condolence to Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero after yesterday’s plane crash in Madrid, which killed more than 150 people.

Mr. Ban extends his sympathies to the families of those who died in the crash, and to the Government and people of Spain, UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters today.

Media reports say the aircraft, which was bound for Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, crashed as it was attempting to take off from Madrid’s Barajas airport yesterday afternoon.