On this day, 1961: UN Secretary General killed in air crash

The body of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold has been identified among the wreckage of a plane which crashed last night outside the Northern Rhodesian town of Ndola. The Norwegian statesman was due in Ndola for peace talks following clashes between United Nations peacekeeping troops and forces striving for independence in the breakaway Congolese province of Katanga. There was only one survivor from the aircraft. Twelve other bodies have been recovered. The survivor, Sergeant Harold Julian, a United States member of the UN Security Force is still in a serious condition in hospital. He told rescuers Mr Hammarskjold had ordered the plane to change direction and fly to a new destination just before landing. Shortly afterwards there was an explosion on board, followed by several smaller explosions.