This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/03/nigeria-plane-crash

The article has changed 9 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Nigeria plane crash kills all 153 on board Nigeria plane crash kills all 153 on board
(about 3 hours later)
A passenger jet crashed into a crowded suburb of the Nigerian city of Lagos on Sunday killing all 147 passengers and crew. A passenger jet crashed into a crowded suburb of the Nigerian city of Lagos on Sunday, killing all 153 passengers and crew.
The plane took off from Abuja and was due to land at Lagos airport when it crashed into a furniture workshop, then into residential buildings in the Agege area of the city and burst into flames. Government officials said that it was likely there were further casualties among the residents of the buildings damaged by the aircraft.The plane took off from Abuja and was due to land at Lagos airport when it crashed into a furniture workshop, then into residential buildings in the Agege area of the city and burst into flames. Government officials said that it was likely there were further casualties among the residents of the buildings damaged by the aircraft.
The flight's pilots radioed to the Lagos control tower just before the crash, saying the plane had engine trouble, a military official said.
Rescue officials feared many others were killed or injured on the ground, but no casualty figures were immediately available. Firefighters and local residents were seen carrying the corpse of a man from one building, its walls still crumbling and flames shooting from its roof more than an hour after the crash.
President Goodluck Jonathan later declared three days of national mourning in Africa's most populous nation. A statement said the president "prays that God Almighty will grant the families of the victims of the plane crash the courage and fortitude to bear their irreparable loss".
The aircraft appeared to have come down on its belly in the dense neighbourhood that sits along the typical approach path taken by aircraft heading into Lagos' Murtala Muhammed international airport. The plane tore through roofs, sheared a mango tree and rammed into a woodworking studio, a printing press and at least two large apartment buildings in the neighbourhood before stopping.
"We heard a huge explosion, and at first we thought it was a gas canister," said Timothy Akinyela, 50, a local newspaper reporter who was watching a football match with friends in a bar near the crash site in a residential street where tin-roofed houses line mud roads."We heard a huge explosion, and at first we thought it was a gas canister," said Timothy Akinyela, 50, a local newspaper reporter who was watching a football match with friends in a bar near the crash site in a residential street where tin-roofed houses line mud roads.
Showing a video he had taken on his phone, he added: "Then there were some more explosions and everyone ran out. It was terrifying. There was confusion and shouting."Showing a video he had taken on his phone, he added: "Then there were some more explosions and everyone ran out. It was terrifying. There was confusion and shouting."
Crowds of residents surrounded the crash site, delaying emergency services from searching for survivors.Crowds of residents surrounded the crash site, delaying emergency services from searching for survivors.
Yushau Shuaib, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, said more casualties on the ground were likely but the number was unknown. He said officials were still trying to get an official manifest on the flight.Yushau Shuaib, spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, said more casualties on the ground were likely but the number was unknown. He said officials were still trying to get an official manifest on the flight.
Sometimes for flights in Nigeria paper tickets are issued without a computer record. Government officials gave various figures for the number of people on the aeroplane. One said 147, another 153.
The plane was operated by Dana Air, which normally flies Boeing MD83 aircraft.The plane was operated by Dana Air, which normally flies Boeing MD83 aircraft.
The nose of the plane was embedded in the three-storey apartment building, damaging only part of the structure. Fires smouldered as several thousand people looked on. A group of men stood atop the landing gear that was smoking and took pictures with their mobile phones.The nose of the plane was embedded in the three-storey apartment building, damaging only part of the structure. Fires smouldered as several thousand people looked on. A group of men stood atop the landing gear that was smoking and took pictures with their mobile phones.
The presidency said in a statement the crash "has sadly plunged the nation into further sorrow on a day when Nigerians were already in grief over the loss of many other innocent lives in the church bombing in Bauchi state", referring to a suicide bombing that killed 10 people. The president said the crash "has sadly plunged the nation into further sorrow on a day when Nigerians were already in grief over the loss of many other innocent lives in the church bombing in Bauchi state", referring to a suicide bombing that killed 10 people.