153 passengers feared killed as plane crashes in Nigeria

Abuja - 03 June 2012 (PTI): At least 153 people on board a passenger plane are feared to have died when a plane carrying them crashed into a building in a residential area of Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos on Sunday.

The aircraft belonging toDana aircaught fire immediately sending billows of thick black smoke into the air at the Iju neighbourhood where it went down.

Civil aviation authority officials believed there were little chances of finding any survivors.

An eyewitness told PTI he does not believe any of the passengers survived the crash that happened near a bus stop in the Ifako Local Government Area of Lagos state.

Besides the passengers and crew on the plane, residents of the house may add to the number of persons killed or injured in the crash.

Emergency services, including fire fighters, were seen rushing to the area following the incident.

The flight took off from Lagos on its way to the capital city of Abuja,National Emergency Management Agency(NEMA) said.

Harold Demureen, head of the oil rich African country's civil aviation authority confirmed the incident but did not give the casualty figures as yet.

Nigeria had witnessed a number of plane crashes in 2005 and 2006 that led to stricter controls in the aviation sector.