Sudanese aeroplane hijacked after Darfur takeoff
The hijacked plane took off from Nyala in the Darfur region of Sudan
Tuesday, 26, Aug 2008 07:09
An aeroplane hijacked in Africa after taking off from a Sudanese city has been denied permission to land in Egypt, reports suggest.
The plane took off from Nyala in the wartorn Darfur region at 13:40 GMT and was headed for Khartoum before the hijackers seized control of the aircraft.
It is thought the plane, which is carrying 87 passengers, is now heading for Libya after being denied permission to land in the Egyptian capital Cairo.
An official working for the domestic Sun Air company in Sudan has reportedly given details to the AFP news agency on condition of anonymity.
He said the pilot had issued a call to the controllers at Nyala airport just 20 minutes into the flight to say the plane had been hijacked.
However it remains unclear what the hijackers demands are as all contact with the aircraft has apparently been cut off.