A plane has crashed at the Lagos airport, witnesses and an official have said.
A witness said the crash occurred at the local wing of the airport close to the section were JET-A1, plane fuel, is stored.
Fire service officials were seen evacuating the occupants of the plane.
It is not yet clear if there was any casualty.
The spokesman of the Nigeria aviation agencies, Yakubu Datti, asked for more time to get details of the incident.
But another official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said the crashed plane belonged to Associated Airlines, and was just about to take off when the accident occurred.
The plane, our FAAN source said, was on its way to Akure.
The Ondo State Government received with shock the news of the crash of the plane bearing the corpse of the former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Agagu, as it was taking off from Lagos.
A commissioner, family members, associates and other top government officials were also involved in the crash.
Information available indicates that there were casualties and a few survivors of this unfortunate crash. We are however still expecting more information.
No doubt, this is an unfortunate disaster in the life of our dear State. We can only pray that God will visit the State with mercy and give us all the strength to bear these unfortunate losses.
We ask all residents to be in a sober and prayerful mood at these trying times as God is indeed the only person we should call upon in this period.
Government assures that further and better information will be released as soon as they are available.
Ondo government officials including Governor Mimiko were waiting for Mr. Agagu’s corpse at the Akure airport when the Lagos Plane Crash occurred. But the have since moved to the Ondo government house from Akure airport after hearing of the crash.
Mr. Agagu was to be buried tomorrow (11 a.m.), while a lying-in-state was to be held today in Akure. Mr. Agagu died on September 13. His burial program started at the University of Ibadan on Monday.
Agagu was a geology lecturer at the University of Ibadan before venturing into politics. He was at different times Nigeria’s Aviation and Power Ministera.
The chartered Associated Airlines plane that crashed in Lagos was carrying the corpse of a former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Agagu, and about 20 people who were all travelling to Akure for the former governor’s burial, multiple and reliable sources have confirmed.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported the plane crash that occured around 9:00 a.m. at the domestic wing of the Lagos Airport around the point were JET-A1, aviation fuel is stored. The plane crashed just after take-off.
While the plane was ready to leave the Lagos airport, Ondo State government officials, including Governor Olusegun Mimiko and some of his commissioners, as well as members of Mr. Agagu’s family were gathered at the Akure airport waiting for the corpse of the former governor.
Mr. Agagu was to be buried on Friday after a burial service at the St Paul’s Anglican Church, Iju-Odo by 11 a.m., the Ondo State Government had said.
However, his corpse was to be received at the Akure Airport by 9 a.m. on Thursday for a lying-in -state at the Democracy Park, Akure, same day.
A PREMIUM TIMES correspondent at the Akure airport on Thursday morning confirmed that state officials and Mr. Agagu’s family were distraught when they confirmed the news. They have all moved to the Ondo State government house in Akure.
Mr. Agagu, a former Ondo governor and Minister of Power died on September 13 in Lagos. He was a geology lecturer at the University of Ibadan before he ventured into politics. His burial program had started with a tribute session at the university on Monday.
Spokesman of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Yakubu Datti, speaking with TV station, Al Jazeera, on telephone moments ago said the crashed plane was carrying 20 passengers and was en-route Lagos to Akure. “The engine failed,” he said.
He said it was a propeller aircraft operated by Associated Airline. There are five survivors, he said. He also confirmed that the survivors have been rushed to a nearby hospital.
He added that the Black Box of the aircraft have been recovered and investigation will commence immediately.
He spoke from the crash site.
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