At Least 10 Persons K!lled As Passenger Plane Cr∆shes
At Least 10 Persons Killed As Passenger Plane Crashes•
In DR Congo
The aircraft, identified as a Let L-410 UVP Turbolet, crashed while attempting to land in Kenge after reportedly experiencing difficulties during the landing process.
More than 10 people were killed after a small passenger aircraft crashed and caught fire on Friday in Kenge, the capital of Kwango Province in southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), according to local media reports citing provincial authorities.
The aircraft, identified as a Let L-410 UVP Turbolet, crashed while attempting to land in Kenge after reportedly experiencing difficulties during the landing process.
According to the provincial government, the aircraft had encountered problems as it approached the city before eventually crashing into a residential compound.
Kwango Vice Governor Remy Saki said the pilot’s body was recovered outside the wreckage of the aircraft, while several passengers were believed to have been burned to death after the plane was engulfed in flames.
Saki said the aircraft had circled over Kenge several times as the crew searched for a suitable place to land before the aircraft eventually crashed.
Despite the impact and subsequent fire, Saki said no one in the residential compound struck by the aircraft was injured.
“Fortunately, none of the occupants of the compound were harmed,” Saki was quoted as saying.
The crash occurred in an area of Kenge, raising concerns among residents and authorities as emergency personnel responded to the scene and worked around the wreckage.
The number of people aboard the aircraft was not immediately clear, while authorities said more than 10 people had been killed in the incident.
Several of the victims were reportedly passengers who were trapped inside the aircraft after it caught fire following the crash.
Authorities also said military personnel were among those aboard the aircraft, although further details about their identities or the nature of their mission were not immediately disclosed.
The deaths have prompted calls for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, particularly the difficulties encountered by the aircraft while attempting to land.
Saki called for an expert investigation to establish what went wrong and determine the precise cause of the accident.
The investigation is expected to examine the aircraft’s condition, the circumstances surrounding its approach to Kenge, the actions of the crew and other factors that may have contributed to the crash.
The Let L-410 UVP Turbolet is a twin-engine aircraft commonly used for regional passenger and utility flights. However, details about the operator of the aircraft, its flight origin and destination were not immediately available in the reports.
The latest crash adds to concerns over aviation safety in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where difficult terrain and limited infrastructure can pose challenges to air operations.
Provincial authorities have yet to release a full passenger manifest or provide a final death toll.
Further details are expected as emergency responders and investigators continue their work at the crash site.
