This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24381066
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
Plane crashes after take-off in Lagos, Nigeria | Plane crashes after take-off in Lagos, Nigeria |
(35 minutes later) | |
A plane carrying 27 people has crashed shortly after take-off from Lagos airport in Nigeria, officials say. | |
A rescue operation is ongoing. At least five bodies have been recovered and one person is being treated for serious injuries. | |
The Associated Airlines plane was bound for Akure, which lies about 140 miles (225km) north-east of Lagos. | |
The plane's engine appeared to fail and the aircraft plunged to the ground and burst into flames, officials said. | |
Officials said the plane came down on to open land within the airport complex, close to a fuel storage depot. | |
It is not yet clear whether the fuel caught fire. | |
"There's a lot of smoke coming from the runway. There are firefighters rushing to the scene," Rasaki Rhakod, who runs a car service around the airport, was quoted by Reuters as saying. | |
Aviation ministry spokesman Joe Obi said there were seven crew and 20 passengers on board. | |
Although Nigeria's air safety record has improved in recent years, the country has a history of major passenger plane crashes. | |
In June 2012, more than 150 people were killed after a dual engine failure caused a plane to crash in Lagos. | |
Lagos airport is a major hub for West Africa and saw 2.3 million passengers pass through it in 2009, according to the most recent statistics provided by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. |