BAMAKO — A United Nations’ plane made a hard landing and skidded off the runway Monday morning in Mali’s northern city of Gao where the UN forces are deployed, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) confirmed in a press release.
“A MINUSMA plane from Bamako with eleven people (four passengers, all United Nations personnel and seven crew members) on board, made a hard landing at Gao airport,” the UN mission said, adding that one crew member was severely injured and ten others slightly. According to photos of the scene, the Antonov An-72, painted in UN livery, suffered extensive damage.
The MINUSMA said that an investigation would be ordered as soon as possible to determine the cause of this incident. “The wounded were immediately evacuated to the medical structures of the International Forces and MINUSMA to receive adequate treatment,” it added.