LOOK. Images show the plane turning into a large fireball
The plane crash happened on Friday, September 23 at Gao Airport in Mali. German soldiers who are part of the UN mission in Mali confirmed this to the French news agency AFP. The aircraft is a Russian-made Ilyushin Il-76. It was in service with the Malian army.
The exact cause of the crash is not known, but an airport employee told AFP that the plane was “overloaded”. The video footage, which surfaced on social media after the crash, shows how the plane slides off the runway upon landing and turns into a huge fireball during an explosion.
Malian officials confirmed to the French newspaper ‘Le Figaro’ that the plane was in service with the Malian army and that Wagner mercenaries were on board. Other sources, difficult to verify, say that around 140 people were on board, according to an investigation by RFI (Radio France Internationale). It concerns Malian soldiers and Wagner mercenaries.
The Malian army remains silent about the crash in all languages. Although the army did pay tribute on Facebook to the deceased Lieutenant Colonel Moussa Traoré, who died on September 23 during an assignment “for the air services”.