Aircraft

Video images capturing the Sudanese Boeing 707 crash during take-off from Sharjah Airport yesterday appear to show a falling object shortly before the jet came down.

The images from an airport surveillance camera show the aircraft, one of two 707s operated by Sudan's Azza Air Transport, apparently departing normally as flight 2241 to Khartoum just after 15:31.

The video viewpoint is consistent with a departure from Sharjah's runway 30.

But within 15 seconds two frames of the footage show an unidentified object apparently dropping to the ground and, another 15 seconds later, the aircraft rapidly descending, in a steep bank, to the right of the departure path.

The jet then strikes the ground and explodes. None of the six occupants said to be on board the aircraft - reportedly registered ST-AKW - survived the accident.

Meteorological data at the time of the accident shows no evidence of adverse weather conditions.