A plane crashed while trying to land at the airport in the Malian city of Gao, reports the Malijet portal.
"The white plane was unable to land and crashed near the airport. Soon after that it caught fire," the portal reported, citing a local source.
It is noted that firefighters and rescuers arrived at the scene. However, the media outlet did not provide any other details, including any information about possible victims of the crash.
According to the report, the crashed plane was an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft. The Il-76 is a multipurpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed in the Soviet Union in the late 1960s as a commercial cargo aircraft. It was designed to deliver heavy machinery to remote and poorly served areas.
Al Arabiya reported that the plane belonged to the Malian air forces.