Most of the 172 passengers, crew feared dead after plane goes down following takeoff

MADRID, Spain (CNN) - Most of the 172 people aboard a Spanish-operated plane are feared dead after the aircraft apparently crashed shortly after taking off from Madrid's Barajas Airport, local officials said.

The official death toll is 90, according to Interior Ministry officials. But local officials are telling CNN's sister station CNN+ (prono: CNN ploos) that the 26 people hospitalized are believed to be the only survivors.

The American-made MD-82 was carrying 166 passengers and six crew members, an airline spokeswoman told CNN.