Nigerian President Declares National Mourning After Plane Crash

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, May 06, 2002

Nigerian President Declares National Mourning After Plane Crash

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo Sunday declared two days of national mourning after a Nigerian airliner carrying 76 passengers crashed in the northern city of Kano, claiming more than 130 lives.

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Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo Sunday declared two days of national mourning after a Nigerian airliner carrying 76 passengers crashed in the northern city of Kano, claiming more than 130 lives.

Immediately on arrival at the Abuja international airport, Obasanjo said in a national broadcast that all flags should be flown at half mast throughout the country on Sunday and Monday as mark of honor in memory of victims including Sports Minister Ishaya Mark Aku.

The president Sunday cut short his four-nation tour of southern Africa and returned to the capital following Saturday's air crash.

"One hundred and six people who were passengers or people hit in their homes and schools have been picked up dead," Obasanjo said, adding that shocked by the loss of so many lives, he decided to put off his visit to Mozambique and South Africa.

Expressing his condolence to families of the dead, Obasanjo announced an "immediate and detailed investigation" into the cause of the crash, involving foreign experts if required.

Obasanjo, who left the country on Friday, was billed to visit Namibia, Botswana Mozambique and South Africa.

Saturday's mishap occurred about 1:30 p.m. local time (1230GMT) shortly after the plane flying Lagos-Kano route took off from Kano airport. The ill-fated airliner crashed into a heavily-populated district of Gwammaja just north of Kano.

The local media put the death toll as high as 147, saying that the casualty toll was likely to be higher because the crash occurred at the densely-populated residential area.

It was reported that the plane belonging to the Lagos-based airlines EAS had arrived safely in Kano from the central city of Jos, and had just set off for Lagos when it plunged to the ground.

Air safety standards in Nigeria are often criticized by passengers while some foreign embassies have forbidden staff from flying on some domestic airlines.

The last major Nigerian air crash occurred in November 1996, when a Nigerian Boeing 727 flying from the southern oil city of Port Harcourt to Lagos crashed, leaving all 142 passengers and nine crew members on board dead. Enditem

148 Killed in Air Crash: Nigeria's Red Cross

At least 148 persons were killed and 49 others injured in an air crash in Nigeria's northern city of Kano on Saturday, the Red Cross said in a statement on Sunday.

The Nigerian Red Cross said three hospitals in the Kano area have received 148 corpses, updating a previous casualty toll of 130.

More than 30 homes had been destroyed in Saturday's mishap in Kano, and that hundreds had been left homeless, the Red Cross added.

The Sunday Punch newspaper reported that a total of 147 persons including Sports Minister Ishaya Mark Aku feared killed in the crash.

So far only two survivors were rescued by fire fighters and concerned persons as the plane reportedly burst into flames after crashing into Gwamaija, a densely-populated district about one kilometer from the Kano International Airport.

The last major Nigerian air crash occurred in November 1996, when a Nigerian Boeing 727 flying from the southern oil city of Port Harcourt to Lagos crashed, leaving all the 142 passengers and nine crew members on board dead.

Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared two days of national mourning and he is due to visit the crash site on Monday.

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