A plane carrying 13 passengers and seven crew members crashed just seconds after taking off Thursday from Lagos Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Nigeria, and authorities have confirmed that 14 are dead.
Six survivors have been taken to the hospital, The Associated Press reported, and two of them are said to be in critical condition.
The plane, an Associated Airlines charter aircraft, was heading to Akure, 140 miles from Lagos.
The initial investigation reveals that the engine failed and the plane crashed to the ground, bursting into flames. It fell into an open field that’s part of the airport’s land, near a fuel storage depot.
“There’s a lot of smoke coming from the runway,” said Rasaki Rhakod, a witness who spoke to Reuters. “There are firefighters rushing to the scene.
Local media reported that on board the craft was the body of former state Gov. Olusegun Agagu. He was set to be buried this weekend, BBC reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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