20000210

Four escape

from hijacked

Afghan plane

STANSTED: Four people escaped late on Tuesday from the hijacked Afghan jet grounded at Stansted airport near London, police said, in a dramatic development in the two-day standoff here.

Police said they believed the four men who escaped were hostages, but said they had been in touch with the hostage-takers afterwards and were assured that the atmosphere on board remained calm.

"We are gauging what effect this has had on the other people on board," a police spokeswoman said.

"We are talking to the people on board as we speak. Everything appears to be calm".

Three of the men were spotted by television cameras focused on the Boeing 727 as they jumped from the cockpit window before running across the apron of Stansted airport, some 80 kilometres north of London.

Police later said a fourth man also jumped. They ran toward a hanger where police are based and were taken to a containment area for medical checks and questioning.

The development came suddenly as the more than 150 hostages and hijackers appeared to be settling in for a third night on the tarmac.

Taking the escapees into account, the number of people remaining on board the plane, including the hostage takers, was put at 152, made up of 114 men, 17 women and 21 children.ÑAFP