Sudanese cargo plane crashes in UAE, six crew die

By Ahmed Jadallah

SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates (Reuters) - A Sudanese cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Sharjah airport in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday, killing all six crew members on board.

Reuters photographer Ahmed Jadallah said the aircraft was completely destroyed. "The aircraft is shattered into pieces and is completely charred and destroyed. The rescue workers are still here and working ..." he said by telephone from the scene.

The Boeing 707 was carrying a crew of six and crashed shortly after takeoff, said Azza Air Transport Co Deputy Manager Ahmed Gasim, speaking in the Sudanese capital Khartoum. He said the aircraft had been leased by Sudan Airways.

A freight handler at Sharjah airport told Reuters the plane came down near the runway.

"We tried to see the plane, but there was nothing left, it was all burnt out," said an aviation company employee whose offices were near the crash site.

The cause of the crash was not clear.

Sudan has a poor reputation for air safety, especially on domestic flights. In June 2008, a cargo plane crashed shortly after taking off from Khartoum airport, killing all four Russian crew. It was the fourth fatal air accident in Sudan in two months.

In 2003, a Sudan Airways Boeing 737 crashed in the east of the country, killing 104 passengers and 11 crew members.