Somali Airlines Flight 40 crashes in Balad, Somalia, killing 50 people.
Somali Airlines Flight 40
On 20 July 1981, Somali Airlines Flight 40, a Fokker F27-600 Friendship operating a daily scheduled domestic passenger flight from Mogadishu International Airport to Hargeisa Airport, Somalia, crashed near the town of Balad a few minutes after takeoff killing all 44 passengers and 6 crew members on board. With 50 fatalities, it remains the deadliest aviation accident in Somalia.
Balad, Somalia
Bal'ad District is one of the districts of Middle Shabelle region of Somalia. It is located about 36 kilometers northeast of the capital city of Mogadishu. Emperor Menelik II attempted to conquer the area in 1905, and the area faced attacks and occupation by Al-Shabaab in the 2010s and 2020s.
July 20
July 20 is the 201st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 164 days remain until the end of the year.