AN AIRLINER CARRYING ASIAN IMMIGRANTS CRASHED INTO A PRIVATE HOUSE AFTER OVERSHOOTING A RUNWAY AT BRITAIN'S GATWICK AIRPORT EARLY TODAY (SUNDAY). AT LEAST 50 PEOPLE, INCLUDING THREE OF THE OCCUPANTS OF THE HOUSE, WERE KILLED AND MANY OTHERS SEVERELY INJURED.

THE AIRCRAFT WAS A BOEING 727 OF ARIANA AFGHAN AIRWAYS, FLYING IN FROM AMRITSAR, LAHORE, KABUL, BEIRUT, ISTANBUL AND FRANKFURT, WITH 63 PEOPLE ABOARD. IT CAME DOWN IN HEAVY FOG, SCRAPED ACROSS A COUNTRY ROAD AND SMASHED SQUARELY INTO THE HOUSE.

AMONG THE SURVIVORS WERE THE CAPTAIN, CO-PILOT AND THE FLIGHT ENGINEER. THE FLIGHT HAD BEEN DIVERTED TO GATWICK FROM LONDON'S HEARTHROW AIRPORT.

POLICE, FIREMEN AND SOME 25 AMBULANCES, RUSHED TO THE SCENE, BUT THEIR WORK HAS HAMPERED BY FROST AND FOG. MANY OF THE DEAD WERE BELIEVED TO BE PAKISTANI IMMIGRANTS TO BRITAIN.