Mogadishu: A blast that ripped a hole in a commercial airliner shortly after take-off from Somalia's capital was probably caused by a bomb, the pilot who landed it safely claimed Wednesday.
The plane, operated by Daallo Airlines and flying from Mogadishu to Djibouti with 74 passengers, safely made an emergency landing on Tuesday. Police said two people onboard were injured.
The Serbian pilot has said he thought the blast, which ripped the fuselage from inside to out, had been an explosive device, according to reports in the Serbian newspaper Blic.
Pilot Vladimir Vodopivec, 64, told a friend he thought it was "a bomb", without giving more details.
Photographs show a large hole -- about a metre in diameter -- just above the engines on the right wing, with streaks of soot on the plane.
Vodopivec added that the blast did not damage the navigation systems, and while cabin pressure was lost, he was able to guide the plane back safely to land at Mogadishu airport.
AFP
