Story highlights
A passenger plane with 29 people aboard is forced to ditch in the Indian Ocean
Everyone survives the crash in the waters off Moroni, Comoros Islands
It's unclear what caused the crash, an aviation official says
A passenger plane crashed into the Indian Ocean shortly after takeoff Tuesday from an airport in Moroni, Comoros Islands, a government official said.
All 29 people on board the Inter-Iles Air flight survived the crash and were helped back to land by nearby fishermen, said Abu Mohammed Ali, acting director general of civil aviation for the Comoros Islands.
The plane was bound for Anjouan, another island in the Comoros, Ali said.
The pilot realized there was a problem with the plane shortly after takeoff and tried to turn back to the airport but didn’t make it, Ali said. The pilot instead ditched in the ocean.
An investigation is under way into the cause of the crash.