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Six people died when a military plane crashed near the runway in Abuja, Nigeria on Sunday after suffering an engine failure, investigators said.
The country’s aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, said the incident involved a twin-turboprop King Air 350 aircraft that “crashed below our Abuja runway after reporting an engine failure en route to Minna “.
A King Air 350 military aircraft has just crashed below our Abuja runway after reporting an engine failure en route to Minna. It seems fatal. We are to remain calm and await the outcome of the military investigation, while we pray for the deceased soul or souls, if any.
– Hadi Sirika (@hadisirika) February 21, 2021
He urged people to “stay calm and wait for the outcome of an army investigation, while we pray for missing souls, if any”.
An unverified video showed fire and smoke at the scene and emergency crews using water cannons to spray the area.
Nigeria Arise News reported that six people were on board the Nigerian Air Force plane – including two crew members.
After reporting an engine failure shortly after departure, the 11-seater crashed on the final approach path to runway 22 Abuja.
A statement from the country’s accident investigation bureau provided to Arise News said the plane took off from Abuja at 10:33 a.m. GMT (11:33 a.m. local time) with four passengers and two crew members.
Plane crash in Abuja πππ pic.twitter.com/qX0pdkdpZD
– baby pluto. (@onovo_xx) February 21, 2021
βThe aircraft reported an engine failure at 10:39 am. [GMT] and crashed landed on the final approach path to Abuja runway 22 at 10:48 a.m. [GMT]The statement said.
βThe fire services are already at the scene of the accident. All six people on board were pronounced dead. “
Minna is a city located about 110 kilometers northwest of Abuja.
Africa’s largest economy has seen a series of air crashes over the past decades.
In 2012, 163 people died when a Dana Air plane crashed into a building in Lagos during the country’s worst air disaster in 20 years.
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