Government agencies have confirmed that 16 people lost their lives while 4 injured Lagos in an ill-fated crash which occurred at the Mafoluku suburb in Lagos this morning at about 9:30 local time.
The chartered Embraer passenger plane belonging to Associated Airline with registration number, 5N-BJY was said to be conveying the corpse of the late Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Agagu for the wake-keeping ceremony scheduled to hold at Democracy Park in Ondo State.
Nigeria Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) had earlier on confirmed 11 individuals dead and recovered 6 survivors out of 20-passengers airline.
But the CEO, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) in a press conference shortly afterwards affirmed that sixteen people have died while 4 are undergoing treatments at an undisclosed hospital in Lagos after the rescue operations was completed at 11:50an Nigeria time.
Mukhtar Usman told the press that agency has launched investigations into the accident and efforts are ongoing to contact the families of the victims before the names will be disclosed to the members of the public.
Usman also said efforts are being made to reach the members of the family of the victims of the plane crash.
Usman confirmed that the Flight Recorder also known as Black box of the plane has also been recovered.
General Manager, Federal Airports Authority Nigeria Yakubu Dati confirmed thus: “An Embraer 120 plane came down at 09:32 with 20 passengers on board, inclusive of crew, and five people survived. We have recovered the black box”, Dati said.
However, it was learnt that emergency workers have evacuated the coffin containing the corpse of the late governor from the wreckage and has been taken to the Air force base in Ikeja.
An airport official who witnessed the crash stated thus: “The plane was making a lot of noise before it came down. It appeared to reverse back to avoid crashing into the residential area. It came down at a 45 degree angle.”
Another witness noted that he saw a lot of smoke coming from the runway. There are fire-fighters rushing to the scene.
Ondo State government in a reaction noted that a commissioner of the state, associates as well as top officials in the state and family members of the late governor were involved in the crash.
The government urged the people to remain calm and sober about the accident.
Major information has yet to be revealed about the plane but a source said the engine was a Pratt & Whitney Canada, a unit of United Technologies Corp, PW100.