Briton killed in Nigeria plane crash

A Boeing 747 cargo plane with 13 crew members on board crashed in southeastern Nigeria today, killing a British engineer and injuring five other people, state-run radio reported.

Six crew members who included both Britons and Americans were admitted to a local private hospital with serious injuries. A British engineer later died of his injuries. His identity was not immediately released.

Few details were available. The MK Airlines plane was approaching Port Harcourt for a landing at 1.46 am when it crashed about 700 yards short of the airport, near Igbo village, radio reported.

The plane, which had been chartered by Panalpina World Trans Limited freight company, was en route from Luxembourg to South Africa when it attempted to land in Nigeria to drop off supplies for local oil operations, radio said.

The plane broke in two upon impact, scattering computers, piping and other equipment over a wide area, witnesses said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash.

Aviation officials did not immediately return calls seeking details. Officials at MK Airlines and Panalpina also did not immediately comment.

Nigeria is the world’s 12th largest oil producer. Port Harcourt is the main city in the Niger Delta, where most of the country’s oil is drilled.