DAKAR: A plane with 78 passengers skidded off a runway before take-off at Senegal’s main airport today, injuring 11 people and bringing the facility to a halt.
The Blaise Diagne airport said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the accident, which occurred at around 1am as the Transair-owned Boeing 737-300 chartered by Air Senegal was preparing to fly to Mali.
A night-time video shared on social media showed a plane with the logo of Senegal-based airline Transair standing in grass with a wing covered in fire-suppressing foam.
Reuters was not immediately able to verify the video.
The airport statement said it activated emergency protocols to evacuate passengers.
“For now, the airport is closed … The reopening of the airport is expected within the next few hours,” it added.