On Thursday, Senegal’s Transport Minister reported that a Boeing 737 carrying 85 individuals caught fire and veered off a runway at the country’s primary airport.
Among the 10 injured, including the pilot, passengers were evacuated from the burning aircraft. Some recounted scenes of “complete panic” as they sought safety.
The Air Sénégal flight, operated by TransAir, was en route to Bamako, Mali, late Wednesday, carrying 79 passengers, two pilots, and four cabin crew when the incident occurred at Blaise Diagne International Airport, approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Dakar.
The cause of the Boeing 737-300 catching fire and skidding off the runway remains unclear. According to the minister, the injured individuals received treatment at a hospital, while the others were relocated to a hotel for rest.
Passenger Remarks
Malian musician Cheick Siriman Sissoko, who captured the passengers’ harrowing experience on his phone, described how they leaped down the emergency slides amidst flames engulfing one side of the aircraft, with screams echoing around.
“My life flashed before my eyes,” Sissoko, 39, recounted from the hotel where passengers were recuperating. “I thought about my mother, my wife, my kids.”
He added, “Only one side’s slide opened, causing complete panic during the evacuation.”
Ibrahim Diallo, a 20-year-old Malian citizen onboard, revealed that the plane had previously attempted to take off that night but encountered difficulties.
“The pilot assured us that everything was under control and we would attempt takeoff again,” Diallo said. “However, smoke emerged from one of the wings during the second attempt.”
Air Sénégal released a statement on the social media platform X, announcing the rescheduling of flights between Dakar and Bamako.
This marked the third incident involving a Boeing aircraft this week. The same day, Turkey’s transportation ministry also reported safely evacuating 190 individuals from a plane in Turkey after one of its tires burst while landing at a southern airport.
