A Boeing 737-300 aircraft crashed during take-off in Senegal, causing injuries to 11 people, with four in critical condition.
Air Senegal flight HC 301 bound for the Malian capital Bamako veered off the runway early Thursday, according to a statement from Dakar’s Blaise Diagne airport.
While the pilot sustained minor injuries, most of the 78 passengers onboard were unharmed.
Operations at the airport have been suspended, with emergency services mobilized for passenger evacuation, as stated by the airport.
An investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the incident, which occurred around 0100 GMT.
Boeing and Transair, the private company Air Senegal chartered the plane from, have not issued statements regarding the crash.
Though the cause remains unknown, the incident adds to Boeing’s ongoing safety concerns.
In January, an unused door blew out of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off in the US, prompting a criminal investigation.
The Senegal crash coincides with revelations from a former quality inspector at Boeing’s major supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, who alleged that planes often left the factory with serious defects.
Spirit AeroSystems has refuted these claims, stating they strongly disagree with the allegations.
