The Nigerian Air Force has confirmed previous reports about the crash of a military plane near the country's capital, adding that 7 people died as a result.
A King Air 350 plane crashed short of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, the news portal Vanguard reported. According to Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, the plane reported an engine failure right before the incident.
A military aircraft King Air 350 has just crashed short of our Abuja runway after reporting engine failure enroute Minna. It appears to be fatal. We should remain calm & wait for the outcome of investigation by the military, while we pray for the departed soul/souls if any.🇳🇬🤲🏽😩
— Hadi Sirika (@hadisirika) February 21, 2021
Following the catastrophe, multiple videos, allegedly taken at the site of the crash were shared on social media. One of the videos depicts a major blaze at the site while firefighters try to put it out.
BREAKING News:
— KHAL BUSSIE 💙 (@iam_bussie) February 21, 2021
Plane crash in Abuja close to the airport
At the moment, no survivor pic.twitter.com/xzecqivvXT
A chartered flight just crashed at the Abuja Airport now. Everything burnt gosh 😭😭😭😭😭
— Imoleayo Michael 👑 {iCode}🕊️ (@imoleayomichael) February 21, 2021
God help this nation pic.twitter.com/qjjyisB6CT