From CNN Africa Correspondent Jeff Koinange
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- A jet with 114 people on board disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from the commercial capitol of Lagos, and Nigerian aviation authorities have confirmed the plane had gone down.
The Boeing 737 left Murtala Muhammed airport at 7 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) Saturday and was en route to Nigeria's capital, Abuja -- a trip that should have taken about 50 minutes.
But the control tower lost sight of the plane about three minutes after takeoff, authorities said.
Some high-level Nigerian officials were believed to be on board the Belleview Airlines jet, the office of President Olusegun Obasanjo told CNN. They were headed to Abuja for a meeting.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said two helicopters had been scrambled to search for it.
The twin-engine plane had a capacity of 120 people.
A storm was passing through Lagos about the time the flight left, according to CNN's Jeff Koinange.
Flights leaving Lagos fly out over the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic, before turning back to reach Abuja, according to Koinange.
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