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Bellview: Nigerian jet crashes after takeoff

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- A jet with 114 people on board disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from the commercial capital of Lagos, and Nigerian aviation authorities have confirmed the plane later crashed.

See Photos of the crash site

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- A jet with 114 people on board disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from the commercial capital of Lagos, and Nigerian aviation authorities have confirmed the plane later crashed.

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.

The control tower lost sight of the plane about three minutes after takeoff, authorities said.

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.