At least 15 people died Thursday, after a plane carrying 20 passengers crashed not long after taking off from Lagos airport in Nigeria.
According to officials from Associated Airlines who spoke with the BBC, the aircraft took off at around 9:30 local time from the domestic terminal at Murtala Mohammed International Airport. Shortly after, the plane's engine seemingly broke down - the aircraft slammed into ground on open land within the airport, then burst into flames. Officials stated that the area where the crash occurred was close to a fuel storage depot, but they are still unsure whether the fuel ignited.
The plane was on its way to Akure, a city located around 140 miles northeast of Lagos. Several of the people on board were seriously injured after the crash.
Ahmad Safian was at the airport when the blast occurred.
"I heard a loud bang and then there was lots of black smoke," Safian told the BBC. "The security forces rushed straight to the scene. I saw three bodies removed from the wreckage." Safian also added that the road leading up to the airport was closed off for a few hours, but airport activity was still happening normally.
The airport in Lagos is a center for West African travellers. 2.3 million people moved through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in 2009, according to statistics from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.
Last June, more than 150 people died after a plane crashed in Lagos. The aircraft reportedly suffered dual engine failure, causing the plane to spiral down into the ground.
