South Sudan plane crash kills 5, destroys properties

November 2, 2021 (JUBA)- A plane crash in South Sudan claimed five lives and destroyed several properties, an airport official confirmed on Tuesday.

“[An] Antonov 26 plane which belongs to Optimum Aviation took off from Juba International Airport, but it came down. We don’t know the cause. It could be technical. The incident is yet to be investigated. It just crashed. It was going to Maban with relief items. It is just this morning on Tuesday. In fact, I was in my office when I heard of the incident”, Kur Kuol, the Director-General of Juba International Airport told Sudan Tribune when reached over the incident.

He said they were waiting for a report from the airline company, adding the security officers had been deployed around the airport.

“I have no details now. I am waiting for a detailed report about this incident. It is from the report [that] I will know whether there are casualties or not”, stressed Kuol.

Officials from the airline company declined to comment when reached to comment, saying they needed more facts on the matter.

A team from South Sudan Red Cross said they discovered five dead bodies from the crime scene as the search for more bodies continued.

“Our team is at the plane crash scene at Gondokoro Island, Juba and we have collected five bodies burned beyond recognition. We will hand the bodies to the authorities. Five people, mainly crew members, all died aboard. The cargo plane was heading to Maban carrying mixed goods including fuel”, a Red Cross official told Sudan Tribune.

In recent years, several planes have crashed in the young nation.

In August last year, eight people lost their lives when a cargo plane crashed in the Kemeru area shortly after taking off from Juba airport.

Separately, 19 people were killed in 2018 when a small aircraft carrying passengers from Juba to Yirol County in Lakes State crashed.

(ST)