Loading ...A Sudan Airways plane has crashed in Khartoum, with nearly 200 passengers on board the flight. Sudanese authorities have already confirmed that at least 28 passengers died immediately after the crash, when a fire broke out within the aircraft, leading to a massive explosion. The final figure for the number of fatalities has not yet been released, but it is likely to be much higher than what was originally reported. According to Britain’s Independent, around 100 passengers are likely to have died, while the Guardian believes that this figure is closer to 120.
Sudan Airways flight 109 was flying from Amman (Jordan), as well as Damascus (Syria). When it tried to land at the Khartoum Airport, an apparent defect in the aircraft caused it to catch fire as it hit the runway. According to witnesses, the fire is believed to have started in the plane’s right engine, from where it spread to the inside of the aircraft’s cabin. After the emergency, flight attendants were reportedly busily guiding passengers to the different emergency exits, in an effort to get them off the plane as soon as possible.
Yet there seems to be debate around the cause of the crash. Some, including a Sudanese police chief, believed that poor weather conditions were responsible for the crash. A couple of surviving passengers noted that there was a lot of water on the runway at the time of landing. Sudan Airways , however, has yet to offer any comment, and no statement has appeared on the carrier’s website.
www.sudanair.com
