I cannot guess how many people were killed or wounded Passenger David Jodice

The original crew escaped from the cockpit shortly after the gunmen boarded at 0500 (0000 GMT).

Most of the passengers on Pan Am 073 are Indian, but Americans, Italians, West Germans and Britons are also on the plane.

They were moved to the centre of the aircraft when the power began to fail and the jet was plunged into darkness.

Businessman Mohammed Amin said he heard one hijacker tell another: "The moment of the Last Jihad has arrived. If we are all killed we will all be martyrs."

They then counted "one, two, three" before they began shooting, he added.

US passenger David Jodice told reporters: "They were shouting at us in pitch darkness. We were totally panicked when they threw a hand grenade in among the passengers.

"I have seen a lot of blood - I cannot guess how many people were killed or wounded," he said.

The hijackers had already killed American passenger Rajesh Kumar, 29, and dumped his body out of the door when their demand for a new pilot was not met.

Two previously unknown groups - the Libyan Revolutionary Cells and the Jundallah (Soldiers of God) - have claimed the men were acting on their behalf.

Experts say it is unlikely Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, fearful of more American raids on his country, will want to be openly associated with the hijacking.

	E-mail this story to a friend