A Democratic Republic of the Congo military aircraft crashed into a residential plot in the town of Kenge on Friday, killing everyone on board along with people on the ground. The death toll has since risen to 17.
The plane was flying to the capital, Kinshasa, from the south-western city of Kikwit when it developed a technical fault and attempted an emergency landing, Al Jazeera reported.
“With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot,” said Remy Saki Bokinda, deputy governor of Kwango province, who added that the aircraft caught fire on impact.
A rising toll
Early accounts put the number of dead at 14. Bokinda later revised that upward: “We discovered 16 bodies of adults and the body of a baby, bringing the total to 17.”
Congolese military spokesperson Major-General Efomi Ekenge had earlier said all those aboard were killed. “All those on board died; 12 were burned beyond recognition, while the pilot’s lifeless body was found outside the aircraft,” he said.
Two senior officers were among the dead — Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo, first president of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant General Lucien-René Likulia, the military’s auditor general. Civilians and members of an official delegation travelling with the two generals were also killed, according to the military.
Investigation ordered
President Félix Tshisekedi has directed the competent authorities to carry out a thorough investigation into the exact circumstances and causes of the crash. The cause has not been established.
The DRC, a mineral-rich country in central Africa, has endured decades of conflict, particularly along its eastern border with Rwanda, where armed groups compete for control of mining areas. Its armed forces have been fighting several rebel groups that have seized key towns since last year.
The Daily Mirror carried the earlier figure of 14 dead. This report reflects the revised provincial count.
