1 dead and 157 injured

Published on: 05/02/2020 17:06

The toll on the plane crash in the late afternoon in Istanbul worsened. The Ministry of Health, cited by the Aandolu news agency, reported that one person was dead and 157 injured. The plane, a Boeing 737-800 of the Pegasus company, went off the runway at the international airport of Sabiha Gokcen and broke into three parts. At the time of landing the city was hit by strong winds and rains.

Transport Minister Mehmet Cahit Turhan explained that one of the engines ignited. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that 177 passengers, including two children, and six crew members were traveling on board the Boeing before breaking up into three parts and catching fire.

The ‘Anadolu’ news agency added that the flames were tamed by the firefighters. According to Turhan, the crash was caused by difficult landing conditions.

All direct flights to Sabiha Gokcen airport were diverted to Istanbul’s main airport, Ataturk airport.

On January 7, another plane of the same airline and of the same model had gone off the runway at Sabiha Gokcen airport, stopping in a nearby field, while adverse weather conditions were raging on the area.