There was palpable tension as no fewer than 11 people were injured after a Boeing 737 plane carrying 85 people skidded off the runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal’s capital.
The plane went off the runway before take-off at Blaise Diagne International Airport on Wednesday night.
El Malick Ndiaye, the transport minister statement confirmed this in a statement on Thursday, saying the Air Sénégal flight operated by TransAir was headed to Mali’s capital, Bamako, late on Wednesday carrying 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew.
The injured were being treated in hospital, while the other survivors have been taken to a hotel to rest.
The Aviation Safety Network, a division of the Flight Safety Foundation, shared images on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, showing a damaged plane in a grassy field surrounded by fire suppressant foam.
The aircraft displayed signs of significant damage, with one engine visibly broken apart and damage to one of its wings.
The incident occurred at the airport in Diass, located approximately 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Dakar. As a result, the airport has been temporarily closed, but authorities anticipate reopening it in the coming hours.
The airport management, LAS, confirmed that the aircraft had been moved away from the runway and that emergency protocols were activated promptly upon notification.
LAS further stated that all necessary emergency services have been mobilized to facilitate the evacuation of passengers and provide necessary assistance as outlined in the airport’s emergency plan. An investigation into the incident has already been initiated to determine its cause.
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