Horror as plane strikes and kills zebra while taking off in terrifying scenes

0Zebra struck by plane (Image: X)A flight had to be grounded after the aircraft struck and killed a zebra while taking off. The Sindbard Air safari plane was carrying 26 passengers and four crew members when it hit the animal on the runway at Seronera Airstrip in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park at around 11.30am local time on Sunday. The aircraft had been heading to Zanzibar, but the crew instead diverted towards Kilimanjaro International Airport following the collision. However, they were unable to lower the plane's main landing gear, forcing the aircraft to make a dramatic landing with the gear still retracted. Footage showed smoke coming from the Embraer EMB-120 as its underside scraped along the runway before it eventually came to a stop. Emergency crews rushed to the aircraft, but all 26 passengers and four crew members were able to get off safely and nobody on board was reported injured.

The plane suffered substantial damage, while operations at Kilimanjaro International Airport were temporarily suspended following the emergency landing.

Tanzanian aviation authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.

It has not yet been officially confirmed whether striking the zebra directly caused the problem with the aircraft's landing gear.

Seronera Airstrip is one of the main airstrips serving the Serengeti National Park and handles flights carrying visitors to and from the world-famous reserve.