Liberian president safely evacuated following private jet incident at airport

A private jet carrying Liberian President Joseph Boakai was involved in a runway incident at Roberts International Airport late Thursday evening after experiencing a tire burst upon landing, the Liberia Airport Authority has confirmed.

The aircraft became temporarily immobilized on the runway following a tire malfunction, prompting an immediate emergency response.

All individuals on board, including President Boakai, were safely evacuated without injury, in accordance with the airport's established emergency procedures, authorities said.

The Liberian president was returning from Lagos, Nigeria, where he had participated in the 50th anniversary of the Economic Community of West African States, a regional body comprising over 15 countries in West Africa.

LAA officials, working in coordination with technical aviation personnel, quickly deployed resources to secure the scene and remove the aircraft.

Normal flight operations at the airport have resumed and the aircraft was cleared from the active runway.

Authorities also denied claims that the incident was caused by poor runway conditions.

"The airport's infrastructure remains fully compliant with international aviation safety standards and we reiterated that the cause of the incident was purely mechanical, involving the aircraft's tire. The safety, efficiency and transparency of our airport operations remain our top priorities", the authorities said.

However, the LAA disclosed that they will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as necessary.