Plane crash in Democratic Republic of Congo: 17 dead

The small passenger plane, which took off from the city of Kikwit in the southwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to go to the capital Kinshasa, tried to make an emergency landing in the Kenge region of Kwango province due to a technical malfunction during the flight. Since there was no landing runway in the area, the plane crashed on a plot of land in a residential area and caught fire after hitting the ground.

Kwango State Deputy Governor Remy Saki Bokinda reported that the death toll increased after the fire in the wreckage of the plane was taken under control. Stating that the number of casualties announced according to the initial determinations has been updated, Bokinda said, "We found the bodies of 16 adults and the body of a baby, and the total number of deaths increased to 17."

In the statement made by the KDC army, it was confirmed that two senior commanders traveling on official duty also died in the accident. It was reported that the generals who lost their lives were Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo, President of the Supreme Military Court, and Lieutenant General Lucien-Rene Likulia, Chief Prosecutor of the Military Armed Forces.

While Army Spokesperson Major General Efomi Ekenge confirmed that the members of the delegation and the crew lost their lives, Civil Aviation Department Chairman Tryphon Kin-Kiey Mulumba noted that the exact cause of the plane's crash was not yet clear.

In the statement made by the Presidency of the DRC following the accident, it was announced that President Felix Tshisekedi instructed the competent authorities to conduct a meticulous investigation in order to determine the exact circumstances and causes of the incident. Tshisekedi expressed his condolences to the families, relatives and all security forces of those who lost their lives.