Boeing plane carrying 85 people catches fire and skids off the runway in Senegal, injuring 10 WSOC TV [Video]

DAKAR, Senegal — (AP) — A Boeing 737 carrying 85 people caught fire and skidded off a runway at Senegal’s main airport, injuring 10 people including the pilot, the country’s transport minister said Thursday.

Passengers were evacuated from the burning aircraft and some described “complete panic” as they scrambled for their lives.

The Air Sénégal flight operated by TransAir was headed to Bamako, in neighboring Mali, late Wednesday with 79 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew, when the crash happened at Blaise Diagne International airport, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Dakar.

It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the Boeing 737-300 to catch fire and skid off the runway. The injured were being treated at a hospital, while the others were taken to a hotel to rest, the minister added.

Passengers jumped down the emergency slides at night while flames engulfed one side of the aircraft and screams were …