The Korean Air cargo jet which blew up in a fireball moments after taking off from Stansted Airport last night was carrying explosives as part of its freight, it emerged today.

Essex's Assistant Chief Fire Officer Tony Lilliott said the explosives - in the form of detonating cord or fuse - were listed as a dangerous pieces of cargo on board the plane.

He said: "When any aircraft takes off the pilot is notified as a matter of course if there is any dangerous stuff on board. This was less than two kilos of detonating cord which is very low-level and will have simply burnt away.''

He added that the plane had been carrying 33 tonnes of fuel when it took off. I think the aircraft on take-off was carrying about 33 tonnes of fuel and when that hit the ground that would have atomised and would have given you the fireball.''

Police confirmed that the crew of the doomed jet did not have enough time to make a mayday call before the plane crashed.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott today visited Stansted Airport as investigations got under way.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that the Spurs football team were diverted to Southend Airport in the aftermath of the crash.

Four Korean crew members died when the aircraft crashed just moments after leaving Stansted - less than a mile from the villages of Great and Little Hallingbury and the busy A120.

The Boeing 747 Korean jumbo jet was heading for Milan when it crash-landed and exploded in a fireball in a field near the airport just before 7pm yesterday. The jet caught fire as it hit power lines.

It was all hands to the pump at Southend Airport as staff heard about the Stansted crash and turned up to work to help deal with the extra flights diverted to the airport.

Airport director Roger Campbell said workers dealt with around 15 flights - instead of the usual two - between 9pm yesterday and 4am today and some staff worked around the clock.

One charter flight from Newcastle carried the defeated Tottenham team who lost 6-1 at their away game. Another 11-passenger flight from Dublin was also diverted to Southend while the rest were freight flights carrying post and parcels.

Meanwhile, Stansted was closed this morning and a fatal accident on the M11 caused extra traffic chaos.

A full-scale search started at first light today to piece together the events leading up to the crash.

Five hours after the accident just one body and traces of others had been recovered from the wreckage - along with a voice recorder box which could hold vital clues.

Emergency services around the entire county were put on full alert after the crash. Nine ambulances and 70 firefighters from 18 stations - including Brentwood and Ongar - were called to the scene.

It is thought the plane ripped through a power cable as it fell to the ground leaving a number of homes without electricity while thousands of holidaymakers were stranded at the airport.

(Right) Crash chaos - police search the wreckage of the jumbo which crashed moments after taking off, killing its crew and closing Stansted Airport

Frustrated - holidaymakers wait at Stansted Airport today

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.