Nigeria suspends airline firm's operations after crash

The Nigerian government has suspended the operations of Indian-owned Dana Air, whose aircraft carrying 153 people crashed into a two-storey building in southwestern Lagos State Sunday killing all on board and another 40 on the ground.

Aviation Minister Stella Oduah told reporters that the airline has been suspended indefinitely for operational safety reasons pending the outcome of investigations into the crash.

The airline's owners have said they would do everything possible to assist families who lost their dear ones in the mishap.

In a statement made available to Xinhua, the airline regretted the accident and expressed sympathies to the families and friends of the dead. It added that a 24-hour call centre service has been initiated alongside an information center set up at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos to look after their needs and keep them as quickly informed as possible.

"An investigation into the cause of the accident got underway immediately (after the air crash), under the guidance of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, which is being assisted by investigators from the US National Safety Transportation Board," the airline company said.