Boeing 737-300 skids off runway in Senegal

The aircraft bound for Bamako in Mali went off the runway in the early hours of Thursday catching fire, Dakar's Blaise Diagne airport said in a statement.

The Air Senegal plane, operated by Senegalese carrier Transair, was seen to have a gaping hole in the left engine that was covered in firefighting foam in the aftermath of the blaze.

The aircraft had 78 passengers onboard.

Operations at the airport have been halted.