Plane crashes in Nigeria, all 153 aboard dead
All 153 passengers’ dead, unknown number of residents killed.
Death toll expected to rise.
It was another Black Sunday in Lagos this evening when a McDonnell Douglas (MD-83) aircraft operated by Dana Airlines plane carrying an estimated 153 passengers crashed into a residential two-storey building at Toyin Street in Puposola area located at New Oko-Oba in Ijaiye, popularly known as Iju-Ishaga neighbourhood of Lagos State killing all the passengers on board with an unknown number of residents in the building killed.
The crash which occurred around 5.30 pm tore through a church and cut the building in half. When National Daily visited the site of the crash, the scene would only be described as a scene from hell as charred corpses some burnt beyond recognition could be seen at various angles of the building.
Two corpses lay by the entrance of what used to be the entrance of the staircase with one of the dead bodies visibly being a Caucasian white male wearing a black tee shirt with his hands still clutching what appeared to be a mini computer or Ipad. Another was sighted hanging on the first floor with three charred remains removed from the
The situation was chaotic with thousands of youths trying to help the fire fighters of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to stop the fire that was razing the area.
Only three flats remained of what used to be a two storey building which has a faded green colour; children’s clothing could be seen hanging outside the corridor of some of the remaining flats but as at the time of this report, no information could be given as to how many residents in the building were casualties. National Daily gathered that five men who were in serious degree of burns were taken by an ambulance to a nearby hospital.
Thousands had gathered at the scene of the crash making rescue operations somehow difficult. People are trying frantically to help but the chaotic situation on ground made it difficult to ascertain people that wanted to help in the rescue operation or had interior motives. Some youths were sighted in the ground floor of the remaining flats tearing down curtains and helping to salvage properties in the building that was apparently in danger of collapse.
Some mobile police officers at the scene started chasing the crowd away from the corpses as many of the onlookers were surging towards the corpses to have a snapshot of the corpses and make a video of the inferno.
A church nearby, which had the inscriptions, Endtime Gospel Ministries Int’l also, had part of its building razed down by the crash and the tail of the plane was visibly burning at that direction. Hundreds of young people can be seen on top of the roof of the damaged warehouse which housed the church trying frantically either to get a better view of the crashed plane or help out in the rescue mission.
National Daily investigations gathered that the flight,9J-996, originating from Abuja, was approaching the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, with less than four minutes to landing before the unfortunate crash killing all passengers on board and an unknown number of persons residing in the building; as it was Sunday evening, the fear that the death toll would rise is heavy within the vicinity as many of the people normally are at home after Sunday services in the early afternoon.
According to one of the passengers who boarded the same flight to Abuja this morning, the aircraft experience problems on its initial flight from Lagos to Abuja.
Speaking to National Daily on condition of anonymity, the passenger said they had their hearts in their hands when they landed Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory in the morning hours.
“I must confess that we had difficulties throughout the flight from Lagos to Abuja this morning and the plane had difficulty landing in Abuja. I am surprised that the ground engineers could have allowed it to fly back as the problem was evident,” he said.
Heavy smoke was still billowing from the scene and the thousands of onlookers surging to the crash site will make it difficult for any reasonable rescue effort to be realized as traffic had become congested and commercial motorcyclist already cashing in on the situation to increase their fare to and fro the site scene.
This disastrous crash has put Dana Airlines, seen as a safe airline in the domestic line, into the aviation industry’s list of airlines that has crashed in Nigeria which has a record of air disasters in the past. Efforts to speak with officials of the airline proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.
A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode while reacting to the crash described the incident as a sad event that has left him in pains.
”A Dana Air commercial aircraft from Abuja to Lagos just crashed around Iju in Lagos with about 153 passengers onboard. This is so sad. All that blood and life just wasted. Aviation is the sector I presided over. I know it inside out and now I am in pain. May the souls of those that died in that crash rest in peace.”
Via National Daily Newspaper
I believe the life of Nigerians worth less than the money if not why must an aircraft that developed fault just a pole after leaving Lagos – Abuja in the morning should be allowed to flew back to Lagos that same day? Nigeria Aviation Board be warned but for DANA airlines i think they need to be toleraly inspected cos they take the life of on-board passengers for granted. Lets make Nigeria worth living.
Almost everything has it’s useful life span, Nigeria should be warn in using out dated machines to put the life of Nigerians in danger. The people who allows Dana airline plane to fly last sunday should be penalized because they knew that the plane was not in order. Nigeria be warned n Government open your eyes n be careful.