At least 14 people, including two senior military officials, have died after a military plane crashed on a residential plot in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The military identified the two senior officials as Lieutenant General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, head of the military court, and Lieutenant General Bakumi Likulia, auditor general of the armed forces.
Crash details and casualties
“In addition to the two general officers, twelve members of the delegation and the crew members also lost their lives in this accident,” Major General Efomi Ekenge, spokesperson of the Congolese military, said in a statement.
The aircraft was returning to the capital, Kinshasa, from southwestern Kikwit when it developed a technical fault and crashed in Kenge, where everyone on board died, according to local officials.
Remy Saki Bokinda, vice governor of Kwango province, said the plane experienced a technical problem and attempted to land in Kenge before crashing in a ball of flames on a “residential plot.”
Investigation launched
An investigation has been opened to determine exactly what happened, Ekenge said. Tryphon Kin-Kiey Mulumba, Chairman of the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority, said the cause of the crash remains unknown at this time.
The Congolese military has been battling scores of rebel groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group in the eastern region since last year, after a blitz of attacks that led to the rebel groups seizing key cities.
Separate RAF incident
The crash comes after a RAF fighter jet crashed in Wales this week. Both pilots managed to eject and nobody was seriously injured. The Hawk T2 aircraft had been flying out of the RAF Valley station on Anglesey on Wednesday when it plummeted to the ground in the nearby Pencarnisiog area.
Hawk operations have been paused by the RAF as a “precautionary measure” while investigations into the crash are ongoing. On Thursday, the RAF said the two pilots, who were treated for minor injuries, are “doing well” and are “expected to make a full recovery.”
A video of the crash shared on social media on Wednesday appeared to show the two pilots ejecting from the aircraft before it nosedives and crashes in flames. The footage shows a plume of smoke and fire erupting as the aircraft hits the ground, appearing to narrowly miss residential properties.
