“The incident took place at Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport after the aircraft reportedly experienced a technical fault shortly after takeoff.”
A passenger aircraft carrying 55 people narrowly avoided disaster on Tuesday after it overran the runway at Somalia’s main airport and ended up in shallow seawater near a beach during an emergency landing.
The incident occurred at Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport after the plane reportedly developed a technical fault shortly after takeoff.
Operated by Starsky Aviation, the flight had 50 passengers and five crew members on board.
In a statement to ABC News, the airline’s CEO, Ahmed Nur, confirmed that the aircraft “overran on the runway” before coming to rest “on the shore of the Indian Ocean near the airport.” He added: “No injuries, no deaths.”
All passengers and crew were safely evacuated despite the dramatic landing.
Somalia’s Transportation Minister, Mohamed Farah Nuh, said rescue teams were able to account for everyone on board and noted that only the aircraft was damaged.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. According to Ahmed Moalim, Director of Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority, the flight was headed to the northern city of Gaalkacyo when it encountered a problem about 15 minutes after takeoff.
He told local media that during the emergency landing, the aircraft veered off the runway and came to rest along the shoreline.