On Sunday, in DR Congo’s eastern city of Goma, a small plane crashed into people’s homes. The crash happened shortly after the plane took off, killing nearly 27 people at least. The DR Congo plane crash victims included nine people from the same family who were in one of the houses hit in the Mapendo area.
DR Congo plane crash: 29 dead, including people on the ground
According to sources, the plane was a 19-seater plane, owned by private carrier Busy Bee. The plane was headed for Beni, about 220 miles north of Goma. But unfortunately, it crashed in the Mapendo district near the airport in the North Kivu province. From the site of the wreckage, smoke rose into the sky. Dozens of people gathered to provide help. Also, the UN mission deployed in DR Congo sent two fire engines to support local rescue services.
Image: Reuters
The North Kivu regional government released a statement afterwards. Part of the statement said that 29 bodies have been found at the crash site so far. The only survivor was taken to the hospital with the other 16 people injured on the ground. Additionally, other statements came from organisations who had their members in the crash. A woman named Mambo Zawadi was in the crash, according to her NGO. She was the coordinator of the association for the defence of women’s rights. Also, there were three civil servants in the housing sector. According to their supervisor, they were returning to their posts in Butembo and Beni.
Image: Reuters
Furthermore, an eyewitness said he saw the plane spin thrice before crashing. They found the pilot asking for help, but they couldn’t get to him. The fire was simply too powerful. Additionally, BBC sources report that the plane crashed due to engine failure. Air accidents have been frequent in DR Congo because of poor maintenance. Which is why their commercial carriers got banned from operating in the European Union.
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BBC
