DR Congo Plane Crash Kills 14, Including Two Senior Military Officials

A DR Congo plane crash has killed at least 14 people, including two senior military officials, after an aircraft went down in Kenge on Friday. The flight was reportedly returning to Kinshasa from the southwestern city of Kikwit when it suffered a technical problem.

Lieutenant General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, chief of the military court, and Lieutenant General Bakumi Likulia, auditor general of the armed forces, died in the disaster.

According to military spokesperson Major General Efomi Ekenge, 12 additional members of the delegation and crew died in the incident. He said that when the plane crashed in Kenge, everyone on board died.

DR Congo Plane Crash Under Investigation

Authorities have begun an inquiry to determine what caused the disaster. According to Ekenge, the aircraft encountered a mechanical malfunction on its way back to the capital.

The Civil Aviation Authority’s board chairman, Tryphon Kin-Kiey Mulumba, said the reason of the incident has yet to be determined.

The collision took place in Kenge’s residential area. The province’s deputy governor, Remy Saki Bokinda, stated that there was no landing strip accessible at the area, causing the plane to crash into a residential property.

Following the crash, images and videos showed people gathered around the burning plane. Thick smoke could be seen billowing from the accident scene as rescue attempts began.

Bokinda said 12 of the victims were burned beyond recognition. The pilot’s body was found outside the aircraft and was later taken away on a stretcher.

What Happened in Kenge

The aeroplane was transporting a military delegation when it crashed in Kenge while flying from Kikwit to Kinshasa. Officials have yet to reveal any information on what transpired inside the plane before it crashed.

The government’s aviation accident investigation agency is also looking into the tragedy. Officials are likely to investigate the aircraft, the suspected technical issue, and the circumstances surrounding the event.

The killings occur as Congo’s military forces conduct operations against numerous rebel groups in the country’s east. The military has been fighting organisations like as the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who have taken over key cities following a series of raids since last year.

The crash adds to a lengthy list of fatal aircraft incidents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country is Africa’s second-largest by area, and huge travel distances combined with poor road conditions have made air travel necessary for many destinations.

Despite its minor fraction of global air travel, the nation has historically had a high number of aviation accidents.

The investigation’s conclusions are likely to shed further light on why the plane crashed and what caused the deaths of everyone on board.