A Boeing 737 aircraft veered off the runway during takeoff at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Senegal, resulting in multiple injuries, according to the country’s transport minister on Thursday.
Transport Minister El Malick Ndiaye reported that 10 individuals were injured during the incident involving an Air Sénégal flight operated by TransAir.
However, local media, citing airport communications, stated that 11 people were injured, with four in serious condition.
A disturbing video footage shared on Facebook by Malian musician Cheick Siriman Sissoko captured the chaotic aftermath, showing passengers evacuating the plane amid reports of a fire on board.
Screams can be heard as flames are seen on one side of the aircraft.
Ndiaye indicated that the incident occurred at 1:14 a.m. during takeoff due to an “acceleration stop.”
The plane was carrying 79 passengers, four cabin crew members, and two pilots—one of whom was among the injured.
The injured were taken to a hospital for treatment, while the remaining passengers were accommodated in a hotel.
The minister ordered an investigation into the incident’s cause and expressed apologies to affected airport passengers for flight delays.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident on the same day, a Boeing 737 experienced landing issues at Gazipaşa–Alanya Airport in Turkey.
Turkish transportation minister Abdulkadir UraloÄŸlu reported that the nose landing gear of the Corendon Airline aircraft was damaged upon landing, causing a tire burst and damage to a strut at the front of the jet.
Fortunately, there were no injuries among the 184 passengers and 6 crew members onboard.
The airport runway was temporarily closed, and flights were redirected to nearby airports while an investigation into the incident was initiated.
This marked the second Boeing plane incident in Turkey within two days. The day before, a FedEx-operated Boeing 767
