A plane carrying 78 passengers skidded off the runway before take-off at Senegal’s main airport today, injuring 11 people and suspending operations.
Blaise Diagne airport said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the accident, which occurred at around 01:00 GMT (9 a.m. Malaysian time) as the Boeing 737-300 aircraft, chartered by Air Senegal and owned by Transair, was preparing to fly to Mali.
An overnight video circulated on social media shows the aircraft, bearing the logo of Senegalese airline Transair, standing on grass and its wing covered in fire suppression foam.
The airport said in a statement that it had activated emergency protocols to evacuate passengers. It added:
For now, the airport is closed … The reopening of the airport is expected within the next few hours.
