Airliner crash kills 60 in Benin
Wreckage of crashed plane in surf
Officials say 141 people were on board
At least 60 people - mostly Lebanese - have been killed in a plane crash in Benin, officials and witnesses say.

The Boeing 727 bound for Beirut plunged into the sea on Thursday shortly after take-off from Cotonou, capital of the former French colony in West Africa.

Witnesses said they saw dozens of bodies strewn on the beach near the airport after UTA Flight 141 came down.

It is not yet clear what caused the crash, but the plane reportedly skidded on the runway and hit a building.

A crewmember who survived the disaster told local journalists that most of the passengers were Lebanese.

There is a large Lebanese community in West Africa, where they dominate much of the commerce.

Airport officials said the plane was carrying about 141 people.

The flight originated in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, and was reportedly travelling to Beirut via Dubai.

The plane belonged to a Lebanese charter airline called UTA, according to Lebanese officials quoted by AFP in Beirut.

The company operates between Lebanon, Africa and Dubai, AFP says.

 
Charles Mims
http://www.the-sandbox.org
 
 
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