At least 13 people have died after a military aircraft crashed in a fireball near homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The plane suffered a technical malfunction while travelling to the capital, Kinshasa, from Kikwit city, and the pilot attempted an emergency landing before the aircraft plunged toward residential areas in Kenge, Kwango province, in the southwestern part of the country.
Crash details and victims
High-ranking officers were among the victims, according to officials. The plane was carrying General Likulia Bakumi, the army’s auditor general, a major, a captain, other military personnel, and civilians, confirmed Remy Saki Bokinda, the province vice governor.
Bokinda told Reuters: “With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot.” All people on board are said to have died after the wreckage was engulfed by flames.
Witness footage and investigation
Footage shows people rushing to the burning plane, with thick smoke billowing into the air from the hillside. In another clip, the lifeless body of the pilot was carried away on a stretcher. Bokinda said twelve people were “burned beyond recognition,” while the pilot was discovered outside the aircraft.
An investigation into the crash has been launched by the government aviation accident body.
Aviation safety concerns
Deadly aviation accidents are not uncommon in DR Congo, the second-largest African country, where distances are long and roads are in poor condition. The country has featured high on the list of countries for most aviation accidents in the past, despite accounting for only 0.1% of global air traffic.
