A plane carrying 147 people plunged into a residential area of Lagos, Nigeria leaving all those aboard feared dead, an inferno blazing at the scene and a number of structures badly damaged.
One rescue official said he believed a number of the bodies being taken away had been people killed on the ground rather than passengers.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared three days of national mourning following the crash.
An official with the National Emergency Management Agency said the plane had hit two buildings: a church and the two-storey residential structure.
Thick smoke rose from the area near Lagos airport and flames could be seen coming from a two-storey building.
Residents said the plane had been coming in low, making a loud noise, when it slammed into the residential area.
Some residents said it appeared that the plane nose-dived into the neighbourhood.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear, though an official from Nigeria's rescue agency and an aviation official said the cockpit recorder had been located and handed over to police.
Wreckage, including a detached wing, could be seen in the neighbourhood as the inferno burned.
Residents reported seeing bodies being taken out of the area as rescue workers rushed in and a helicopter landed.
Lagos State police spokesman Joseph Jaiyeoba told AFP the plane went down in the Iju neighbourhood on the mainland of the city where the bulk of the city's population lives.
A spokesman for Nigerian airline Dana confirmed one of its planes was involved in the crash but could not immediately provide further details.
Nigeria has a spotty aviation record, though Dana has been considered to be a relatively safe domestic airline.
Its aircraft make daily flights between Abuja, Calabar, Lagos, Port Harcourt and Uyo.
