We have no survivors. We do have one unfortunate victim so far,'' said Lt. Cmdr. Glenn Chamberlain of the Halifax rescue coordination center, as rescue efforts continued early today in the inky darkness off Nova Scotia's coast.

Rescue official Andre Ereaut said four bodies had been recovered so far. Witnesses reported a wide area of ocean littered by debris from the downed aircraft, including an oil slick and life preservers all illuminated by searchlights from coast guard cutters, helicopters and overflying aircraft.

Local fishing vessels helped comb the waters for possible survivors. But there were only reports of rescuers finding bodies and human remains in 16-degree (61-degree Fahrenheit) waters.

A Geneva airports spokesman Philippe Roy said the Geneva-bound flight 111 left New York's Kennedy International Airport about 2030 hrs local time (0030 Gmt) with 215 passengers including two infants and 14 crew.

The passengers were thought to be mostly Swiss, many from the French-speaking west of the country, Swissair spokeswoman Beatrice Tschanz told a news conference in Zurich, Switzerland.

One of the crew members was an American from Swissair partner Delta, Tschanz said. The airline's chief MD-11 pilot, Christian Sussi, confirmed the pilot had apparently tried to make an emergency landing in Halifax.

In Atlanta, Delta spokesman Bill Berry said the best information available'' was that 53 Delta passengers were on board the flight. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 declared an emergency about an hour into the flight, Chamberlain said.

The pilot reported smoke in the cockpit shortly before losing contact with the air traffic control tower in Moncton, New Brunswick, the Canadian press said. The plane also dumped fuel over nearby St. Margaret's Bay before crashing, the news agency quoted an airport worker as saying.

Some aircraft debris was believed found off Clam Island between Blandford, 32 km southwest of Halifax, and the popular tourist destination of Peggy's Cove, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Said.

Residents told of hearing loud noises from an aircraft passing overhead. Dozens of ambulances were dispatched to the scene and rescue vessels began combing the waters off the coast.

We heard the plane go over our home, then my husband and son heard quite an explosion,'' Blandford resident Audrey Bachman told the Associated Press. She said she was sleeping at the time of the crash.

Claudia Zinck-Gilroy added that the motors were still going, but it was the worst-sounding deep groan that I have ever heard.''

Chamberlain said rescue crews were searching for the aircraft 11 km off Peggy's Cove. Local fishermen were called to the area because they are familiar with the waters.

There were four rescue planes and four helicopters in the area, Canadian navy spokeswoman Tracy Simoneau said. A Canadian navy ship, the HMSC Preserver, also was on the scene.

They are reporting that they have located debris, but they are unsure if it's from the aircraft. They also report an oil slick and a strong smell of oil. They have not found the fuselage,'' Simoneau said. She said civilian rescuers were at the scene within minutes of the crash.

The US Government officials were going over the flight manifest with Swissair and Delta officials and notifying the families of passengers early Thursday morning, said inspector Anthony Insanti of the Port Authority of New York and new Jersey police department. The port authority manages Kennedy airport.(AP).