BA plane wing clips airport building

A British Airways Boeing 747-400 plane, carrying more than 200 people, struck an office building late on Sunday while preparing to take off from the South African OR Tambo national airport, in the city of Johannesburg.

The flight to London was taxiing at OR Tambo International Airport when its right wing hit the building, injuring four people inside.

South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority said the aircraft had travelled down a taxi-way that was too narrow for it.

The control tower "told them to take one taxi-way and they took another one. They took a wrong one," said aviation authority spokeswoman Phindiwe Gwebu.

Passenger John Hart said the captain had described it as a "little incident" but everyone on the right-hand side of the plane could see what had really happened.

None of those on board was injured but four ground staff in the building were hurt.

"They sustained slight injuries and are fine," a spokesperson for Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) told Eyewitness News.

 Hart said the passengers were allowed to leave the plane after about an hour but because of the fuel spillage they had still not been able to reclaim their luggage.

The aircraft has since been moved and operations have not been disrupted, ACSA says.

In a statement British Airways said all 182 passengers were provided with hotel accommodation and alternative flights are being arranged.

BA said an investigation was under way and that it was "giving our assistance to the independent South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA)".