Nigeria's Abuja airport shut after plane skids off runway

Nigeria's airport in the capital, Abuja, was shut on Wednesday after a cargo plane skidded off the main runway .

The incident happened as the Allied Air Cargo aircraft landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Wednesday morning, the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said in a statement.

Five passengers on board were rescued and rushed to hospital, it said.

Operations were suspended at the airport and Nigerian news outlets have carried reports of delayed flights as the authorities cleared the runway.

“The Airport Emergency response team is on the scene along with accident investigators. The runway is being cleared and is expected to reopen for operations as soon as possible,” FAAN spokesperson Obiageli Orah said in a statement.

The agency warned the public against speculating on the incident until a report is released by the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB).

➤Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.