At Least 14 Killed, Including Two Senior Military Officials, in Plane Crash in Congo

AFP

Congolese military at the area where the plane crashed.

At least 14 people were killed, including two senior military officials, when a plane crashed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the military said on Friday.

The two senior military officials who died in the incident include Lieutenant General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, head of the military court, and Lieutenant General Bakumi Likulia, auditor general of the armed forces. 

Remy Saki Bokinda, deputy governor of Kwango, said: “With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot.”

Congolese military spokesperson Major-General Efomi Ekenge said 14 people had died in the crash.

“All those on board died; 12 were burned beyond recognition, while the pilot’s lifeless body was found outside the aircraft,” he said.

An investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the accident, Ekenge said.

According to the military, those killed included civilians, members of an official delegation travelling with the two generals, and other military personnel.

The plane was returning to the capital, Kinshasa, from the southwestern city of Kikwit when it reportedly developed a technical fault and crashed in Kenge, killing everyone on board, according to local officials.

An investigation was launched shortly after the incident was reported to determine the cause of the crash, said Ekenge.

Tryphon Kin-Kiey Mulumba, Chairman of the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority, said the cause of the crash remained unknown.

The crash comes as the Congolese military continues to fight numerous armed groups in the country’s east, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group. The conflict has intensified since last year following a series of attacks in which rebel forces seized control of several key cities.



PUKMEDIA