Nigerian Airliner Goes Missing After Takeoff; 114 Are Aboard
An airliner carrying 114 people was reported missing shortly after taking off Saturday from the Nigerian city of Lagos, officials and media reported.
The Nigerian aircraft, operated by the private Bellview Airlines, lost contact with the control tower five minutes after taking off at 8:45 p.m. Saturday, said Jide Ibinola, a spokesman for the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria. The plane was headed for the capital, Abuja.
Ibinola said the plane had 108 passengers and six crew. Their nationalities were not immediately known.
Most aircraft take off from Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest city, in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean, and turn back toward the coast.
Early today, state radio reported the plane had crashed, but it did not give a location.
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