Really sad breaking news from West-Africa.

Svend Ole Kvilesjo
Journalist in Aftenposten, Oslo Norway


ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) - A Kenya Airways jet en route to
Lagos, Nigeria crashed Sunday night into the sea, shortly after
taking off from Abidjan, airport officials said.
The plane, an Airbus 310, took off at 9:08 p.m. and crashed just
a few minutes later, the airport officials said, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
An official with the Ivorian civil aviation authority, ASECNA,
also speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were 168
adult passengers on board the plane, 2 children and 10 crew
members.
Albert Acho, a travel agency employee who greets incoming
passengers at Abidjan's often-hectic Felix Houphouet-Boigny
Airport, said the streets outside the airport were jammed with
police officers, firefighters and onlookers, many yelling in
panic.
The Abidjan airport is just a few hundred yards (meters) from
the Atlantic Ocean beach. Acho said boats could be seen already
searching the water off the beach, but that the wreckage of the
plane was not visible.
Officials said French military firefighters, who are stationed
at a French military base next to the airport, were being asked
for assistance.
The officials did not know if there were any survivors, and had
no further information.
(tjs)

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