Story highlights
Six people survived the crash in Lagos
The plane, with 20 aboard, crashed while taking off Thursday
Body of late governor of Ondo state was aboard the aircraft
His relatives were accompanying his body
A plane carrying 20 people crashed on takeoff from Nigeria’s Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos on Thursday, killing 14, the nation’s aviation minister said.
“The six survivors were promptly transported to the hospital and are receiving appropriate medical care,” Princess Stella Oduah-Ogiemwonyi said in a statement on her Facebook page.
Two of the injured were in critical condition, and four were in stable condition, said her spokesman, Joe Obi, on her Facebook page.
The incident occurred at 9:32 a.m. when an Embraer 120 operated by Associated Airlines on a private charter flight to Akure crashed shortly after takeoff from the airport’s domestic wing and burst into flames, she said.
First responders reached the crash site and extinguished the fire within two minutes, “despite the surging crowd,” she said.
The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder have both been recovered from the wreckage, said Muhtar Usman, commissioner with the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau.
The identities of the victims were being withheld pending notification of relatives, Oduah-Ogiemwony said.
Among the passengers were relatives of the late former governor of Ondo state, Olusegun Agagu, who were accompanying his body on the flight, Nigerian state-run TV broadcaster NTA reported.
Agagu was a former aviation minister in Nigeria.
In a statement from an adviser, President Goodluck Jonathan extended his condolences to relatives of the dead.
“President Jonathan views the plane crash as most unfortunate and regrettable, given the concerted efforts of the federal government to enhance aviation safety in the country,” said the spokesman, Reuben Abati. “He has therefore ordered a thorough investigation of the crash by all relevant agencies with a view to determining the cause and taking further actions, as may become necessary.”
CNN’s Tom Watkins contributed to this report.
