Military plane crashes in southern Yemen, killing 9

Military plane crashes in southern Yemen, killing 9

2011-10-25 18:35:01 GMT+7 (ICT)

SANA'A (BNO NEWS) -- At least nine people were killed on early Tuesday morning when a large military plane crashed at an Air Force base in southern Yemen, officials said. The death toll is expected to rise.

The accident happened on Tuesday morning when a Russian-made Antonov military cargo plane crashed while attempting to land at the Al-Anad Air Base in Lahj Governorate, which is located some 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of Sana'a. Up to 15 people were believed to be on board.

The local News Yemen news portal said at least five people were killed, including three Syrian technicians and two Yemeni army personnel, but a Yemeni military source said at least nine people had been killed. He said the fate of the six others was not immediately known.

The source said the military plane had originated from the capital Sana'a and exploded during landing. The cause of the accident was not immediately known and state-run media did not mention the accident as of Tuesday afternoon.

In August 2005, one person was killed and 28 others were injured when an Antonov transport plane belonging to the Yemeni Air Force crashed east of Mukalla in Hadramaut Governorate. The plane was carrying 49 people.

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