Sharjah 24 - Reuters: A plane carrying dozens of passengers skidded off the runway before takeoff at Senegal's main airport on Thursday, injuring 11 individuals and temporarily halting operations, as reported by the airport and Senegalese transport ministry.

The Blaise Diagne airport indicated that an investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the incident, which took place around 0100 GMT. The aircraft involved was a Transair-owned Boeing 737-300 chartered by Air Senegal, preparing to depart for Mali.

Footage shared on social media showed passengers fleeing from the aircraft, with the left wing seemingly ablaze. The plane came to a stop in tall grass, deploying emergency slides as smoke rose into the night sky. Although the authenticity of the videos could not be immediately verified, reporters later observed a plane bearing the Transair logo cordoned off near the runway with red and white tape.

According to airport reports, there were 78 passengers on board, with 11 individuals sustaining injuries, including four serious cases. However, the transport ministry stated that there were 79 passengers, with 10 injuries reported, including one of the pilots. The airport was closed immediately following the incident but had reopened by approximately 1100 GMT, according to an online post.