117 KILLED IN PLANE PLUNGE.Byline: By JAN DISLEYA PASSENGER plane has crashed in Nigeria Nigeria (nījĭr`ēə), officially Federal Republic of Nigeria, republic (2006 provisional pop. 140,003,542), 356,667 sq mi (923,768 sq km), W Africa. , killing all 117 people on board. The Nigerian Boeing 737 airliner - which was carrying a number of high-ranking Government officials - went down in an electrical storm shortly after take-off from Lagos Airport on Saturday Saturday: see week; Sabbath. . It's thought several westerners may have been on board. The flight, operated by Bellview Airlines Bellview Airlines is an airline based in Lagos, Nigeria. It is privately owned and operates domestic, regional and international scheduled passenger services. Its main base is Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos[1]. , had been bound for the capital Abuja. But minutes into the journey the pilot made a distress call indicating the plane had a technical problem. Frantic relatives raced to the airport for news but early reports that there had been as many as 50 survivors proved false. Red Cross officials said the plane had been "totally destroyed". General secretary Abiodun Orebiyi said: "It was scattered everywhere. "I was not told there were any survivors. The rescuers saw charred bodies." |
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