A video has been found of a plane crashing and catching fire at an airport in Gao, northern Mali. It is believed to be a plane from Mali’s air force.
Some people have guessed that Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group might have been on the ship, but we do not have proof of this yet.
The plane can be seen landing in what seems to be a late touchdown, and then going past the runway really fast.
Then, it forcefully goes through what seems to be solid barriers made of concrete before tumbling down a slope into a small, low area in the ground and bursting into flames.
A picture of the destroyed plane is now on the internet. It shows that a large part of the plane’s body was burnt.
A satellite picture from Planet Labs shows smoke coming from the wreckage. The ground that had been recently dug up between the wreckage and the runway was also noticeable, showing that it went too far past the runway.
Mali’s army has not given a response about the crash yet. The BBC has found some posts on social media that honor a Russian pilot who is believed to have died in the accident.
The airport in Gao, Mali is used by the Malian forces, Wagner mercenaries, and the UN peacekeeping mission.
The country is experiencing more and more attacks from Islamist militants and Tuareg rebels in the northern part.
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