A bomb exploded in the rear of an El Al Boeing 707 early this evening shortly after the airliner took off from Rome’s Leonardo Da Vinci airport, bound for Tel Aviv with 144 passengers, officials reported here. The plane, flight 444, was already out over the sea but the pilot succeeded in returning to the airport for a safe landing.
Officials here also reported that no passengers were injured in the explosion but that one passenger was slightly injured when he ran from the plane after it landed. Groups of tourists from Italy and West Germany were aboard, as were a number of Israelis.
Transport Minister Shimon Peres said here tonight there was no information yet available on whether terrorism was involved in the blast but that he did not exclude that possibility. He said there was a possibility that a technical problem might have caused the explosion. A passenger reported she thought she saw a fire in the backseats of the plane. However, reports here indicated the luggage compartment had been damaged, indicating the blast took place in that section.
The passengers were sent to Rome hotels for the night. It was indicated an El Al special plane will be sent to Rome tomorrow to bring the passengers to Israel. Israeli experts also are scheduled to arrive in Rome tomorrow to inspect the damage and investigate the circumstances of the explosion.
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