At least 14 people, including senior military officials, were killed on Friday when a Congolese army plane crashed into a residential area in the southwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The aircraft was travelling from the southwestern city of Kikwit to the capital, Kinshasa, when it developed a technical fault and attempted to land in Kenge, in Kwango province.
The crash underscores the persistent dangers facing aviation and military transport in the DRC, a vast central African nation where infrastructure constraints and ongoing conflict complicate routine operations.
The incident claimed the lives of both civilians and members of an official military delegation, highlighting the broad human toll of the accident.
Remy Saki Bokinda, deputy governor of Kwango, said the aircraft had no landing strip available in Kenge and crashed into a residential plot.
Congolese military spokesperson Major-General Efomi Ekenge confirmed that 14 people had died in the crash, including civilians and members of an official delegation travelling with two generals, along with other military personnel.
An investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the accident, according to Ekenge.
The DRC, a vast, mineral-rich country in central Africa, has endured decades of conflict, particularly along its eastern border with Rwanda, where several armed groups compete for control of lucrative mining areas.
The Congolese military has been battling a number of rebel groups that have claimed key cities in the country since last year, placing sustained operational demands on its personnel and equipment.
Major-General Ekenge said all those on board died, with 12 bodies burned beyond recognition. The pilot's lifeless body was found outside the aircraft, he added.
Deputy Governor Bokinda similarly reported that most of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and that the pilot was found dead outside the wreckage.
Authorities have opened an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, according to Major-General Ekenge.
Further details on the identities of the victims and the findings of the inquiry are awaited.
News chopper went down in Chatsworth while filming the aftermath of a fatal Metro bus collision in the San Fernando Valley.
Dubai joins Oman, Iraq and other nations in cutting off Iranian carriers, deepening Tehran's aviation isolation under sweeping Treasury sanctions.
Tehran warns regional airports of disruption as flight cancellations spread and Washington expands pressure on Iranian airlines
Agreement with Denmark and Greenland to establish Arctic bases at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig, set for signing at the UN General Assembly
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!