All passengers survive after faulty plane crash-lands on seashore in Somalia

MOGADISHU — A passenger aircraft carrying 55 people overran the runway at Somalia’s main airport and ended up in shallow water at a nearby beach Tuesday during an emergency landing following a technical problem shortly after takeoff.There were no injuries from the emergency landing at Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport, and the 50 passengers and 5 crew members aboard the Starsky Aviation flight were safely evacuated, airline CEO Ahmed Nur said in a statement.“The aircraft overran on the runway” before coming to a rest at on the shore of the Indian Ocean near the airport, Nur said, adding, “No injuries, no deaths.”Starsky Aviation said the pilot’s quick thinking was crucial in saving the 50 passengers and five crew.The crew of the aircraft, a Fokker 50, reported a problem shortly after take off from Mogadishu on Tuesday morning and requested that the plane return, Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.It then touched down but failed to stop on the runway, overshooting the tarmac before coming to rest in shallow water, the CAA’s director Ahmed Macalin Hassan said.It is not clear yet exactly what the issue was.Footage posted on X appeared to show passengers leaving the aircraft and walking away from the wreckage on the shore of the Indian Ocean. No serious injuries have been reported.The African Union’s mission in Somalia said UN and AU troops were “swiftly deployed” to help with rescue efforts. Somalia’s transport minister was also at the scene, its post on X added.”We are relieved to confirm that all passengers and crew are safe. Investigations are under way to establish what caused the technical issue that led to the emergency landing,” Starsky spokesman Hassan Mohamed Aden said.”The pilot’s swift and calm decision-making played a decisive role in ensuring the safety of everyone on board, and we commend him for how he handled the situation,” he added. — Agencies