600 returning Niger Hajj Pilgrims escape death

About 600 Niger State pilgrims returning home from this year’s hajj in Saudi Arabia escaped death, yesterday, at the Minna International Airport, when the plane that was conveying them back home crash-landed.

It was learned that the aircraft, a Boeing 744 with registration number 5N/ DBK developed a technical fault, which made it to forcefully land, damaging one of the aircraft’s four engines.

According to an eyewitness, most of the passengers were shocked, which made them rush out of the plane, immediately the door was opened. No one, however, died from the accident.

To investigate the incident, it was learned that five officials of the Accident Bureau of Investigation from Lagos arrived at the airport and immediately inspected the partly damaged aircraft, after which they went into a closed-door meeting.

The Public Relations Officer of the state Pilgrims Welfare Board, Hassana Isah, confirmed the incident.