Passengers hurt as plane veers off runway in Kenya

An aircraft flying 55 people from Nairobi veered off the runway during takeoff and skid into the bush, leaving nine passengers injured, aviation officials said Friday, October 11.

The plane, operated by domestic airline Silverstone Air, was to take off from Kenya's capital, Nairobi, to tourist attraction Lamu island when the accident occurred this morning. It was to make a stop at port city Mombasa before heading to Lamu, home to a UNESCO world heritage site.

But before it could take off from Wilson Airport, Nairobi, the plane went through the fence and ploughed on several dozen metres into the brush.

Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) confirmed this in a statement, saying: "This morning at around 9:00 am, a Fokker 50 aircraft veered off the runway while departing from Wilson Airport, Nairobi. The aircraft had 55 souls on board, 50 passengers, 5 crew."

Silverstone Air confirmed in a statement that its Fokker 50 plane had had an accident at Wilson Airport. Sheila Muturi, a company official, later told a press conference that nine people were injured and that an investigation was underway to establish the cause of the accident.

"We can now confirm that there were nine passengers who sustained injuries and are all receiving treatment," she said.

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