Breaking news: 747 Freighter crash in Afghanistan

A National Airlines 747-400BCF (25630) crashed on takeoff from Bagram, Afghanistan this morning. Full details are not yet available but eyewitness accounts indicate that it is unlikely there were any survivors. The Taliban has claimed responsibility, but again, eyewitness accounts indicate that this is unlikely — that the freighter appeared to enter a nose-up stall and lose forward speed.

Further details, including the witness comments, have been reported by our European editor Alex Lennane on her blog, here.