KINSHASA: A military aircraft crashed in a residential area in southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo after developing a technical fault, killing at least 14 people, including two senior generals, officials said.
The aircraft caught fire after attempting an emergency landing on a residential plot because there was no suitable landing strip in the area.
The plane was travelling from the southwestern city of Kikwit to the capital, Kinshasa, when it developed a technical problem during the flight. It then attempted to make an emergency landing in Kenge, in Kwango province.
Kwango Deputy Governor Remy Saki Bukonda said there was no proper landing strip or runway in Kenge, forcing the aircraft to attempt the emergency landing on a residential plot.
Major General Afomi Ekienge, a spokesman for the Congolese armed forces, confirmed that 14 people were killed in the crash.
“All those aboard the aircraft died at the scene,” Ekienge said, adding that 12 bodies were so badly burned that they could not be identified. The pilot’s body was found outside the wreckage.
Military officials said those killed included two generals, members of an official delegation travelling with them, other military personnel and civilians.
The deputy governor also confirmed that most of the bodies were severely burned and disfigured.
Ekienge said an official investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the crash.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, a vast mineral-rich country in central Africa, has faced decades of conflict and instability. Several armed groups have been fighting for control of valuable mineral-rich areas, particularly in the country’s eastern regions bordering Rwanda. The Congolese army has been conducting operations against rebel groups that have captured key towns in the region.
