At least 17 people died when a plane carrying a Congolese military delegation crashed in Kenge, in the southwestern Kwango province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Friday.
This story is written and edited by Global South World
Video footage from Viory showed residents and soldiers at the crash site, where debris from the aircraft was spread across the area. Witness Maman Dilane said the aircraft appeared to be flying at a low altitude before it crashed and caught fire.
Provincial authorities confirmed that everyone on board was killed. The victims included 13 members of the military and four civilians, including a baby. The reported death toll increased as emergency crews recovered additional bodies from the wreckage. People were among those killed in the crash.
Among those killed were Lieutenant-General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, first president of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant-General Lucien-René Likulia Bakumi, auditor general of the Congolese armed forces. Both were returning from an official mission in Kikwit.
The aircraft was travelling from Kikwit to Kinshasa when it crashed in a residential area of Kenge. Authorities said it appeared to have encountered a problem and was attempting to land. No residents on the ground were killed.
President Felix Tshisekedi has ordered an in-depth investigation into the cause of the crash, while investigators have been deployed to the site.
This article was originally published by Global South World and is republished here with permission. View the original article.
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