Cargo plane hits bus full of passengers in airport crash

A cargo plane has crash landed in Ghana's capital Accra, hitting a bus full of passengers, officials say.

Ten passengers on board the bus were reported to have been killed while all four crew members survived.

Local TV showed the heavily damaged Boeing 727 Allied Air plane lying across a road close to Kotoka International Airport.

Ghana's airport operator said the plane, which had flown from Lagos, Nigeria, overshot the runway.

It said in a statement that the four crew members were receiving treatment at an airport clinic.

"The aircraft collided with a minivan, resulting in 10 confirmed fatalities," the statement added.

Police and troops cordoned off the scene following the incident just after 19:00 GMT on Saturday.

Ghana's Vice President John Dramani Mahama told reporters at the airport that a thorough investigation would be carried out.

"No early conclusions should be drawn. We should allow investigations to arrive at the actual cause. But I can assure Ghanaians that the situation is under control," he said.

Ghana Airport Company said flights were continuing as normal at the airport.

Kofi Kportufe, head of Ghana's national disaster management agency, praised the emergency services for their quick response, which he said had "averted further disaster".

"This is a sad day for Ghana," he said.

The BBC's West Africa correspondent John James says Ghana's air safety record has been good in recent years.

Comments