Plane with 55 Passengers on Board Crashes

A passenger plane carrying 55 people has crashed into the Indian Ocean just moments after take off.

Shocking footage shows the StarSky airline aircraft in the water near the Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu.

Passengers can be seen hopping out of the plane into water on Tuesday in Somalia.

One of the plane’s wings can be seen snapped clean off the body of the aircraft.

The flight had been headed to Guriel – the second largest city on Somalia.

Rescuers were spotted assisting the passengers after arriving at the scene of the wreckage in just minutes.

The flight crashed shortly before takeoff after having issues gaining altitude due to technical difficulties.

Witnesses who had been walking along Jasiira beach reported seeing the plane flying unusually low to the water before it skipped across the surface and landed on the shoreline, according to AirLive.

Numerous onlookers gathered along the beach to watch the chaos unfold.

Airport officials said the flight had attempted to return to Magodishu, but had veered off the runway when attempting to land.

“The priority was ensuring there was no post-impact fire, given the proximity to the water,” an airport official said.

“We are relieved to report that everyone on board was evacuated safely.”

The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) confirmed the crash had happened in the coastal area just outside the airport’s western perimeter.

The SCAA also added that all crew members and the plane’s 55 passengers had survived the incident.

A formal investigation has been launched to find the cause of the crash.

The Aden Adde International Airport was closed for a short time, so emergency services could reach the crash.

It has since resumed its normal operations.

The crash comes just days after another plane nose dived into the ocean and killed all three men on-board.

The crash, near Goolwa South in southern Australia, killed two teenage males, an 18-year-old from Freeling and a 19-year-old from Pasadena.

Shocking footage showed the aircraft suddenly dropping from the sky and plummeting into the waves.

The pilot, a 57-year-old man from Morphett Vale, also died in the crash.

A fisherman who saw the plane drop out of the sky told 7News that there was a “massive splash” as the aircraft hit the water.

He said: “It looked like it was doing some sort of stunt movements and then next thing you know it just keeps coming down and down and down and not going back up.

“Before you know it, it hit the water. A massive splash happened.

“I noticed both of the wings sort of fell apart from the plane in the crash.”

The fisherman quickly called emergency services, but said he “felt pretty helpless”.

The sea was rough, and search and rescue services had to use several choppers, a jet ski and boats to recover their bodies.

The mangled wreck of the aircraft was later brought to shore.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission

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