Cargo plane crashes into sea off Abidjan, Ivory Coast

A cargo aircraft has crashed into the sea off Ivory Coast shortly after taking off from Abidjan’s international airport.

Four people have been confirmed dead and six have been reported injured, two of whom are in critical condition.

Rescue workers removed two bodies from the plane, which had broken into several pieces and come to rest near the beach. Two other bodies were visible in the wreckage.

Local website Koaci.com reported that the plane was carrying freight for the French army.

The crash occurred during a storm with heavy rain and lightning and rescuers were hampered by rough seas. 

The airport in Abidjan, a city of around 5 million people, is a busy regional transportation hub. 

It is also used by the French military which operates a logistics base there in support of an anti-Islamist militant operation in West Africa’s Sahel region.

SOURCE: euronews with Reuters
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