A Boeing 737 plane crashed during take-off in Senegal, leaving 11 injured

The Senegalese Minister of Transport said on Thursday that a Boeing 737 plane skidded off the runway while taking off from an airport in Senegal, injuring a number of people.

Minister of Transport Malik Ndiaye He said 10 people were injured when a TransAir Senegal Airlines flight ran off the runway at Blaise Diagne International Airport, which serves the capital, Dakar. local Media reports Press communications from the airport reported that 11 people were injured, including four in serious condition.

Extensive video footage shared on Facebook by Malian musician Cheikh Sirimane Sissoko, purporting to show the aftermath of the accident, depicts a panic scene of people evacuating the plane, which he also said “caught fire.” People could be heard screaming as flames appeared on one side of the plane.

Ndiaye said the accident occurred at 1:14 a.m. after a “speed stall” during takeoff. He said the plane was carrying 79 passengers, four crew members and two pilots, one of whom was among the wounded. The injured were taken to hospital for treatment, while the rest of the passengers were taken to a hotel.

The minister also ordered an investigation into the causes of the accident and apologized to the airport passengers whose flights were delayed as a result.

Separately, on Thursday, another Boeing 737 plane experienced a problem while landing at Gazipasa-Alanya Airport in Turkey, local media reported. Hurryet Newspaper reports. according to Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said that the front landing gear of the Corendon Airlines plane was “broken,” causing one of the plane’s tires to explode and damaging a strut at the front of the plane.

Oraloglu said: “Fortunately, there were no injuries among the 184 passengers and 6 crew members.” He added that the runway will be temporarily closed and flights will be diverted to other nearby airports, and an investigation has been opened into the cause of the accident. “At the end of the technical process, the plane will be withdrawn from the runway,” Uraloglu said. “I extend my best wishes to all passengers.”

Incredibly, this was the second accident involving a Boeing aircraft in Turkey in as many days. On Wednesday, a FedEx Boeing 767 cargo plane made a dramatic landing at Istanbul Airport after it also experienced a problem with its front landing gear. A video of the plane landing showed sparks flying from the plane as it collided along the runway, but fortunately no one was hurt.

The Daily Beast has contacted Boeing for comment on recent events.