Senegal's Air Sénégal flight skids off runway with injuries; probe underway at Blaise Diagne airport
A Boeing 737 aircraft, carrying 85 passengers, skidded off the runway at Dakar's airport, according to a statement from Senegal's transport minister, AP reported. Ten people were injured in the mishap.
Minister El Malick Ndiaye said that the Air Sénégal flight, operated by TransAir, was en route to Bamako with 79 passengers, two pilots, and four cabin crew. Ten people sustained injuries and are receiving treatment in the hospital, while the remaining survivors have been accommodated in a hotel for rest.
Boeing 737 plane accident in Dakar | Video here
A night-time video circulating on social media purportedly shows the plane, bearing the logo of Senegal-based airline Transair, resting on grass with its wing covered in fire-suppressing foam. HT could not immediately verify the authenticity of the video.
What Dakar airport said?
A probe is underway at Blaise Diagne airport following an incident involving a Transair-owned Boeing 737-300 chartered by Air Senegal. The plane skidded off the runway around 0100 GMT (6:30am according to Indian time) while getting ready to depart for Mali, the airport said in a statement.
Emergency protocols were activated at the airport to evacuate passengers. Currently, the airport remains closed, with plans for reopening expected within the next few hours.
“For now, the airport is closed … The reopening of the airport is expected within the next few hours,” the airport added.
Multiple Boeing aircraft involved in incidents
Turkey's transportation ministry said on Thursday 184 passengers and six crew members from a Corendon Airlines Boeing 737 were evacuated after one of its tires burst during landing at Gazipasa airport. The incident occurred during a flight from Cologne, Germany. The aircraft landed on its nose, but fortunately, no injuries were reported.
