Cargo Plane Crash In Ghana Leaves 10 Dead

A cargo plane, which was attempting to land at Kotoka International Airport in Ghana’s capital, Accra, missed the runway, slamming into a bus loaded with passengers, killing all 10 aboard, according to a report by emergency responders.

The Washington Post reports that Billy Anaglate, spokesman for the Ghana Fire Service, stated that the plane’s four crew members did survive the crash, and were taken to a local hospital for treatment. He stated late Saturday that:

“What happened is that the Allied (Air) Cargo plane, actually I was told, was traveling from Nigeria to Ghana. At the landing it was short of the boundary, and it went off onto the roadside. It crashed into a bus… (The plane) broke the barrier and went onto the road and hit the vehicle and unfortunately in the vehicle everyone ended up dying. The poor people were killed.”

The Associated Free Press reported that Ghana’s airport operator released a statement saying”

“…flight number DHV 111, cargo aircraft, operating from Lagos to Accra, has overshot the runway on landing on Saturday June 2, at 7:10 pm local time…the crew of four people on board all survived the accident and are currently receiving treatment at the airport clinic. The aircraft collided with a minivan, resulting in 10 confirmed fatalities…”

According to USA Today, Police and soldiers worked quickly to cordon off the neighborhood where the plane crash occurred, which is close to El-Wak Sports Stadium and Hajj Village, where Muslims in the country often stay on their journey to Mecca. Television crews showed footage of the plane lying on a road, its tail damaged, while the flight crew jumped off and were helped by emergency crews.

The Washington Post reports that Ghana’s Vice President John Dramani Mahama ordered aviation officials during a news conference on Saturday to launch an investigation into the crash. He stated:

“I urge you to conduct preliminary investigations as early as possible. And no early conclusions should be drawn to the cause of the accident.”

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