Dozens killed in Milan plane crash

Firefighters hose down the damaged building amid dense fog

MILAN, Italy (CNN) -- At least 114 people have been killed when an SAS airliner ploughed into a building at Milan's Linate airport after it collided with a small private aircraft, an Italian official said.

Airport officials said it was unlikely that anyone survived the crash at 8.15 a.m. (0615 GMT) on Monday morning and a subsequent fire.

Others deaths could be reported; officials are not certain how many people were in the building during the accident.

There were 48 Italians and 56 people of other nationalities on the commercial flight, while the small plane was carrying four people.

Underlining the seriousness of the accident, many ambulances had been called to the scene, but few left for the hospital.

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The SAS, or Scandinavian Airlines System, plane was reported to have been heading for Denmark's Copenhagen airport, where relatives of the passengers on board were being gathered and offered the opportunity to talk with psychologists.

Relatives in Milan were kept in a room away from the press, and special hotlines were set up for those seeking information.

Officials at Linate airport would only say the small German plane, a Cessna, was in the wrong place when the accident occurred.

There were conflicting reports of what had happened. Some officials believe the SAS aircraft, an MD-87, may have tried to take off to avoid the smaller plane, but then crashed into a baggage-handling building where it caught fire and broke into three parts.

Earlier reports said both planes were taxiing when the accident took place and the SAS plane swerved to avoid the Cessna, crashing into the building.

An SAS statement confirmed one of its MD-87 planes had been involved in an accident at Linate airport.

The statement said: "SAS is doing everything possible to help passengers and to assist Italian authorities at this time."

Thick fog covered Milan's second airport, Linate, at the time of the crash.

Airport authorities have ruled out any link to the September 11 suicide hijackings against the U.S. and the subsequent military action against targets in Afghanistan on Sunday.