Passenger aircraft in Somalia veers off runway during emergency landing at Mogadishu airport

Mogadishu: A passenger aircraft carrying up to 50 people veered off the runway at Somalia's main airport onto the nearby shoreline Tuesday during an emergency crash-landing following a technical problem shortly after takeoff. There was no immediate word on whether there were casualties.

Rescue operations were underway to evacuate passengers from the aircraft, officials said.

The plane had taken off from the Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu and was bound for the northern city of Gaalkacyo when it developed a problem about 15 minutes after takeoff, Ahmed Moalim, director of Somalia's Civil Aviation Authority, told local media.

During the attempt to bring the plane back down, the aircraft veered off the runway and ended up at the nearby shoreline of the Indian Ocean, Moalim said.

The airline, Starsky Aviation, did not immediately comment about the incident.

Authorities said an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the incident. No further details were immediately available. (AP)

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.