Search for bodies from crash continues
‘ It was only a matter of time before something tragic happened’ analyst says
LAGOS — Nigeria recovered bodies and searched for clues on Monday after an airliner crashed in a residential area of Lago, killing all 153 people on board and prompting the president to declare three days of mourning.
President Goodluck Jonathan visited the site in Nigeria’s commercial hub and saw rescuers working amid the smouldering, ash- covered wreckage of the McDonnell Douglas MD- 83 flown by privately owned domestic carrier Dana Air.
Jonathan ordered an investigation into how the plane crashed into the iron roof of an apartment block in a residential suburb.
Search teams found what they believed to be the plane’s “black box” flight recorder.
The airline said 147 people had been killed but in a list published overnight there were also six crew members on board, taking the death total to 153. An unknown number of people may have been killed on the ground.
“They’re still busy recovering bodies. I believe some people were killed on the land as well as on the plane, though we don’t yet have a precise number,” said Tunji Oketunbi of Nigeria’s Accident Investigation Bureau.
Oke Osanyintolu, head of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, said 80 bodies had been pulled out by about 12: 30 p. m. A crane was helping to clear away some of the debris.
A source at Dana said the plane was manufactured in 1983.
Though large curious crowds were still gathering around the scene, they were more controlled than on Sunday when thousands filled the streets, hampering emergency services.
Air crashes are not uncommon in Nigeria, Africa’s second biggest economy, which has had a poor airliner safety record.
“To be fair, the number of similar incidents has reduced in recent years,” said Samir Gadio, London- based analyst at Standard Bank, which has a big operation in Nigeria.
“However, it was only a matter of time before something tragic happened. Security is poor on domestic flights, some of the planes are from another age, maintenance is questionable.”