14 people were killed when a small, chartered airplane crashed just after taking off from Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, Nigeria on Thursday.
The small Embraer 120 aircraft, which was carrying 20 passengers, reportedly nosedived after takeoff at around 9:30 a.m. Thursday and burst into flames upon impact. When emergency responders arrived at scene, they were able to extinguish the flames within two short minutes.
"The plane was making a lot of noise before it came down," Rasheed Olajide, who works as engineer for the airport, told Reuters in an interview.
14 people were killed in the crash, according to a statement from Joe Obi, spokesman for Nigeria's Aviation Ministry. Six survivors were reportedly brought to a nearby hospital, with two of them in critical condition.
The plane had been carrying the body of former Ondo state Governor Olusegun Agagu, along with his family members, to his funeral at the time of the crash. Reuters reported that a casket was seen being brought out of the aircraft wreckage by emergency responders at the scene.
The aircraft’s flight data recorder has been recovered from the wreckage and local authorities have begun an investigation into the cause of the crash.
The names of the victims have not yet been released, pending the notification of their family members.