A passenger jet erupted into flames moments after lifting off from Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport, plunging Somalia’s capital into chaos as rescue teams raced against time to reach the wreckage. Eyewitnesses described hearing a deafening explosion followed by the aircraft spiraling back toward the runway, crashing into a nearby field and igniting a massive fireball visible across the city. The incident, unfolding just before noon local time, has left the nation reeling, with unconfirmed reports suggesting dozens aboard the flight.
The aircraft, operated by Somali airline FlyAX and bound for Nairobi, Kenya, carried approximately 140 passengers and crew, according to preliminary airport manifests. Flight FX-204 had barely climbed to 500 feet when it issued a mayday call, citing engine trouble, before losing contact with air traffic control. Videos circulating on social media show the plane’s desperate banking maneuvers and the subsequent plume of smoke rising from the crash site near the airport’s perimeter, underscoring the fragility of aviation in a country long plagued by instability.
Emergency responders, including Somali National Army units and international aid workers stationed nearby, converged on the scene amid fears of secondary explosions from leaking fuel. Somalia’s Federal Government Ministry of Transport confirmed the crash in a terse statement, urging calm while promising a full investigation. Casualty figures remain fluid, with local hospitals overwhelmed by incoming wounded; Red Crescent medics reported pulling survivors from the twisted fuselage, though the death toll could climb as night falls over the blast zone.
Aden Adde Airport, Somalia’s busiest hub, has a chequered history marred by security threats from al-Shabaab militants, who have targeted it with bombings and drone strikes in recent years. The facility underwent upgrades with Turkish backing, yet persistent issues like poor maintenance and outdated radar systems have drawn criticism from aviation watchdogs. Experts speculate bird strikes or mechanical failure amid Mogadishu’s harsh dust storms as likely culprits, pending black box recovery.
As the sun sets on the smoldering wreckage, world leaders expressed solidarity, with Kenya’s President offering medical assistance and the UN aviation agency dispatching investigators. For Mogadishu’s residents, hardened by decades of conflict, the crash evokes painful memories of past disasters, amplifying calls for bolstered air safety amid the country’s fragile recovery. Live updates continue as search efforts persist into the night.
