Fourteen people, including senior military officials and civilians, died on Friday when a Congolese army plane crashed into a residential area in Kenge, Kwango province, after experiencing a technical fault while traveling from Kikwit to Kinshasa.
Technical Failure Forces Attempted Landing in Kwango Province
A Congolese military flight bound for the capital of Kinshasa from the southwestern city of Kikwit met with disaster on Friday when it experienced a technical problem and attempted to land.
Remy Saki Bokinda, the deputy governor of Kwango (also cited as the Kwango vice governor), explained the immediate danger on the ground. With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot,
Bokinda stated.
Casualties and High-Ranking Military Personnel on Board
Initial reports varied on the exact death toll, with figures cited as 14 dead by military sources and 13 killed according to regional officials. Congolese military spokesperson Major-General Efomi Ekenge stated that 14 people had died in the crash.
Describing the scene of the disaster, Major-General Efomi Ekenge said: All those on board died; 12 were burned beyond recognition, while the pilot’s lifeless body was found outside the aircraft.
Remy Saki Bokinda similarly confirmed that most of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and the pilot was found dead outside the wreckage.
The passengers included members of an official delegation traveling with two generals, along with other military personnel and civilians. Among those killed was General Likulia Bakumi, the army’s auditor general, as well as a major, a captain, and other military staff.
“With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot.”
Remy Saki Bokinda, Deputy Governor of Kwango
Investigation Opened Into the Kwango Province Disaster
Major-General Efomi Ekenge announced that an investigation has been opened to determine the cause of the accident, while a government statement noted that Congo’s aviation accident investigation authority is launching a probe of the crash.
This event takes place within the DRC, characterized as a sprawling, resource-rich central African nation that has suffered through many years of war, notably near its eastern frontier with Rwanda where multiple militias vie for lucrative mineral zones. In addition, the armed forces of Congo have been fighting various insurgents who have seized important urban centers nationwide since the previous year.
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