Somali police officer killed by aircraft propeller - Punch Newspapers

Mogadishu Police Chief Ma’alin Mahdi and members of his security team alight from an aircraft at Dhusamareb Airport in Somalia ahead of the Galmudug leadership inauguration. PHOTO/Screengrab by PD Digital/Dalsan TV

A Somali police officer has died after being struck by a moving aircraft propeller shortly after disembarking at an airport in central Somalia. The officer, identified as Mukhtar Qasim Samay, was attached to the security detail of Mogadishu Police Chief, Ma’alin Mahdi. The incident occurred on Tuesday at Dhusamareb Airport, where Mahdi and members of his security team had arrived ahead of the inauguration of Galmudug State’s incoming leader, Liban Ahmed Hassan. According to Somali media reports, Samay was walking away from the aircraft when its still-rotating propeller struck his head, killing him at the scene. A video sighted by PUNCH Online showed the aircraft parked on the airport tarmac at night, with its propellers still rotating as passengers and members of the security team disembarked. The approximately 19-second footage showed a white twin-propeller aircraft bearing the inscription, STAR AIRLINES, with a portable staircase attached to its open door.Make PUNCH part of your everyday experience.Add us to your Preferred Sources A crowd of men, including security personnel in military-style uniforms and others in formal and traditional clothing, gathered around the aircraft as people came down the stairs. The video, which was shaky and grainy, captured people moving around the aircraft while the propellers remained in motion. Towards the end of the footage, there was a sudden movement among members of the crowd, followed by significant camera movement and blurred images. The footage captured the chaotic moments surrounding the disembarkation but did not clearly show the fatal impact. One killed after helicopters collide in Nepal Ex-UN official Badejo bags Timor-Leste’s highest honour Five die in Malaysia helicopter crash Dalsan TV had earlier reported that Samay was struck on the head by the rotating propeller as he walked away from the aircraft after landing. The deceased was a member of the Somali Police Force and reportedly served in the Haramacad unit. Following his death, Mahdi Omar Mumin, in a Facebook post, expressed condolences to Samay’s family, friends and colleagues in the police force. “Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilayhi raajicuun. I send my deepest condolences to the family, relatives, friends and all the Somali Police Forces, the shocking death that happened to them,” Mumin wrote. He described the deceased as one of the heroes of the Somali Police Force, particularly the Haramacad unit. “May Allah have mercy on K/S Muqtar Qaasim Samay, who was one of the heroes of the Somali Police force, especially Haramacad,” he added. Mahdi had travelled to Dhusamareb ahead of Thursday’s inauguration of Hassan, an event expected to attract political and security officials. Dhusamareb is the administrative capital of Galmudug, one of Somalia’s federal member states. Local media outlet Mustaqbal had earlier reported that security arrangements had been strengthened in the city ahead of the inauguration. Fawzi Kehinde Fawzi is a journalist and subeditor covering a wide range of beats including politics, metro, and international news, among others. He also optimises stories for digital audiences.

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