A plane carrying 27 people has crashed shortly after
take-off from Lagos airport in Nigeria, officials say.
At least five bodies have been recovered and one person is being
treated for serious injuries.
The Associated Airlines plane was bound for Akure, which lies about
about 140 miles (225km) north-east of Lagos.
The engine of the plane appeared to fail and the aircraft plunged to
the ground and burst into flames, aviation officials said.
Aviation in Nigeria
• Seven major air crashes since 1992
• Security in the sector was revamped in 2007
• All airlines had to re-capitalise or be grounded, in an effort to
ensure better safety
• In August 2010, the US gave Nigeria its top safety rating, allowing
its domestic carriers to fly directly to America
• Lagos's Murtala Muhammed Airport is a major transport hub for West
Africa, with 2.3 million passengers passing through it in 2009
• Nigeria's government says it now has full radar coverage of the
entire country
"There's a lot of smoke coming from the
runway. There are firefighters rushing to the scene," Rasaki Rhakod, who
runs a car service around the airport, was quoted by Reuters as saying.
Rescue efforts are continuing, however the death toll is expected to
rise.
Aviation ministry spokesman Joe Obi said there were seven crew and 20
passengers on board.
Although Nigeria's air safety record has improved in recent years, the
country has a history of major passenger plane crashes.
In June 2012, more than 150 people were killed after a dual engine
failure caused a plane to crash in Lagos.
Lagos airport is a major hub for West Africa and saw 2.3 million
passengers pass through it in 2009, according to the most recent statistics
provided by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria
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