Mogadishu, Somalia: A passenger aircraft carrying 55 people safely evacuated after veering off the runway and ending up on a beach near Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle International Airport, Somali authorities confirmed, in an incident that has triggered an official investigation.
The Starsky Aviation Fokker 50 turboprop with 50 passengers and five crew members on board was en route to the northern city of Gaalkacyo when it developed a technical problem about 15 minutes after takeoff on Tuesday, eyewitnesses and officials said.
According to the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the crew requested to return to Mogadishu following the malfunction. During the emergency landing attempt, the aircraft overshot the runway, veered off the paved surface, and came to rest on the adjacent shoreline along the Indian Ocean.
Rescue teams promptly evacuated all 55 occupants. Transportation Minister Mohamed Farah Nuh and airline officials confirmed that no serious injuries or fatalities were reported. All passengers and crew were later taken to a nearby medical facility for precautionary evaluation.
Starsky Aviation’s chief executive Ahmed Nur said in a statement that the aircraft “overran on the runway” before settling on the beach. He added, “No injuries, no deaths.
“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 as quoted by BBC.
Somalia’s transport ministry and civil aviation officials have launched a formal investigation to determine the root cause of the technical fault and the circumstances that led to the runway excursion.
This incident marks a rare case of an emergency landing that ended with all persons aboard walking away unharmed, even as the aircraft sustained significant damage.
