Somalia plane makes emergency crash-landing near Mogadishu; all 55 survive

A Starsky Aviation Fokker 50 passenger plane carrying 55 people performed an emergency crash-landing on the shoreline near Mogadishu's international airport on Tuesday morning, Somali authorities said.

The aircraft, which departed for Puntland, requested an immediate return to Mogadishu shortly after takeoff due to a reported technical fault. Upon landing, the plane touched down but failed to stop on the runway, overshooting the tarmac and coming to rest in the shallow waters of the Indian Ocean, says the BBC.

Footage from the scene showed passengers walking away from the wreckage on the shore. UN and African Union troops were "swiftly deployed" to assist with rescue efforts, and Somalia's transport minister was also present.

All 55 people on board – 50 passengers and five crew members – survived, and no serious injuries were reported.

Starsky Aviation praised the pilot, saying his "quick thinking" and "swift and calm decision-making" were decisive factors in saving the lives of everyone on board. The specific nature of the technical issue has not yet been identified, and the Civil Aviation Authority and Starsky Aviation said investigations are underway to determine the cause of the emergency.