Senegal's Blaise Diagne Airport closed after aircraft runs off runway
Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - The Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) in Diass, Senegal, was closed on Thursday after a TransAir plane chartered by Air Sénégal overran the runway, the Senegalese news agency APS reported, citing an airport source.
The Senegalese Minister for Infrastructure, Land and Air Transport, El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, went to the scene.
"Air Sénégal flight HC 301 bound for Bamako ran off the runway during take-off at around 1 am on Thursday," LAS, the company that operates the airport, said in a statement.
According to the same source, "78 passengers were on board and 11 were injured, Four seriously, and six others slightly injured people were admitted for observation at the airport's medical services."
For the time being, the airport has been closed until the necessary measures are taken; its reopening will be announced in the next few hours," said L'AS.
In its press release, LAS explained that the B737/300 aircraft, chartered by Air Sénégal from TransAir, had ground outside Threshold 19 of the runway.
The company, which operates AIBD, pointed out that the emergency plan was activated by the authorities as soon as the information was communicated to them.
It pointed out that all the airport's emergency services were mobilized to evacuate the passengers and take care of them as planned.
According to L'AS, "the exact circumstances of the incident have yet to be determined, but an investigation is already underway to establish the causes of the incident.
It said aviation specialists and representatives of the airline concerned were on site to closely examine the flight data and interview the crew members.
The flight to Bamako had 85 people on board, including 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew, according to the Ministry of Air Transport.
In a press release, it reported that 10 people were injured, including a pilot, and assured that all measures had been taken to treat the injured.
The Minister for Infrastructure and Land and Air Transport, El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, went to the Emergency Operations Centre where he chaired a crisis meeting.
He also visited the passengers and the injured at the hospital.
According to the Ministry, the Bureau of Investigation and Analysis (BEA) is working to determine the cause of the accident.
-0- PANA JSG/SOC/BBA/RA 9May2024
