Huge explosion rocks airport as helicopter crashes into ball of flames

At least three people have died after a helicopter crashed by an airport creating a horrifying fireball with huge clouds of smoke filling the sky.

International flights have been diverted after a military helicopter serving the African Union peacekeeping mission inSomalia crashed at an airport in the capital, Mogadishu. The helicopter, which had belonged to theUgandan Air Force, but was being operated by the African Union peacekeeping mission, was arriving from Balli-doogle Airfield in the Lower Shabelle region with eight people on board when it crashed near Somalia's Aden Adde International Airport.

A loud explosion caused by the aircraft was heard across the capital, according to reports on X, and video footage shows plumes of smoke rising from the airport.

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Aviation officer Omar Farah, who was among the first to reach the wreckage, said he “saw the helicopter spinning and then it fell very fast.” There was “a huge explosion and smoke everywhere,” said Abdirahim Ali, a nearby resident who also witnessed the crash.

According to a state-run news agency, a fire broke out after the helicopter crashed by the airport, before being contained by emergency services.

Artan Mohamed, who heads the immigration office at Mogadishu’s Aden Abdulle airport, confirmed that at least three people had died. The fate of the remaining five people on board has yet to be determined, said a Ugandan military spokesperson.

And Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, told state media that investigations are underway to determine the full extent of casualties and damage.

“Once the situation is under control and the fire is extinguished by the firefighters, we will know more,” he said. “The firefighting team is still working to contain the fire — most of it has been put out, but there is still smoke, which we hope will be cleared soon.” He added that an investigation was under way to establish the cause of the crash.

Among the flights diverted in the wake of the disaster was a Turkish Airlines plane, which was sent to Nairobi.

The African Union peacekeeping mission, known as AUSSOM, is helping Somali authorities to fight the extremist rebels of al-Shabab, which opposes the presence of foreign troops in the Horn of Africa nation. The mission includes troops from countries such as Uganda and Kenya.

Currently, AUSSOM has over 11,000 personnel in Somalia, helping the country's military counter al-Shabab who have been fighting for nearly two decades to topple Somalia’s internationally recognised government and establish its own rule. This week, the Somali army killed a prominent leader from the group in the Middle Shabelle region, state media reported.