Saman Shafiq USA TODAY
Thursday July 13, 2023
A small passenger plane swerved off the runway on arrival Tuesday at the international airport in Somalia's capital city of Mogadishu, state media reported.
The Halla Airlines aircraft "crash-landed" at the Aden Abdulle International Airport at 12:23 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to a Somali Civil Aviation Authority statement posted by Somali National Television.
There were 34 people on board, including the crew. Two people sustained minor injuries, Somali National Television reported, while others were safely rescued.
Images and videos shared on social media show the Halla Airlines plane skidding on the runway before hitting a fenced concrete wall, detaching the cockpit and sending debris flying. A wheel could even be seen coming away from the aircraft.
The civil aviation authority did not state what caused the accident. However, it said an investigation is ongoing. The Associated Press reported that the weather at the seaside airport was partly cloudy.
Major international carriers that fly to and from the Mogadishu airport include Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airlines.