Nota: l'uranio E' piroforico, si autoincendia. E nei 747 ce ne sono 1.500 chili usati come contrappeso.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (PANA) - New evidence about the Helderberg, a South African Airways Boeing 747 which crashed into the sea off Mauritius 28 November 1987, indicates that the aircraft was carrying nuclear materials on board.

The disaster that killed all 159 people on board remains South Africa's greatest aviation mystery.

Allegations of a government cover-up abounded ever since Flight 295 plunged into the sea, 160 km off the coast of Mauritius while on a flight from Taipei to Johannesburg.

Afrikaans language Beeld newspaper reported Tuesday that it had obtained a transcript from the flight recorder of a nine-minute conversation between the pilot, Capt. Dawie Uys, and cabin crew, in which mention was made of a "Boy George" which appears to be a code name for an atomic or nuclear bomb.

The recording shows that the cabin crew were shocked to learn of that there were explosives on board the plane.

Minutes later, two smoke alarms were activated in the hold of the plane.

The pilot began an emergency descend and the plane crashed into the ocean shortly afterwards.

The high frequency tape was previously inaudible, but new technology in the US has enabled investigators to decipher the recording.

Beeld said it was not clear from the transcription whether the bomb was being transported whole or whether it was being transported in separate units.

Transport minister Dullah Omar reacted to the report by saying he would consider reopening the inquiry into the disaster.

His spokesman Mike Mabasa said the minister had asked the Civil Aviation Authority to ascertain as soon as possible whether the transcript was authentic.

A three-year judicial inquiry found that nobody was to blame for the crash.

However, at the time of the incident, the apartheid regime was developing its nuclear capabilities and was believed to be trading in arms with Taiwan in contravention of UN sanctions.