Cargo plane crashes in South Sudan

JUBA: A Russian-built cargo plane with passengers on board crashed yesterday after taking off from the airport in South Sudan’s capital, Juba, killing at least 41 people on the flight and on the ground. A crew member and a child on board survived, presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said.

Soon after taking off from Juba airport the plane crashed on the banks of the White Nile, leaving a tail fin and lumps of fuselage strewn in vegetation.

The plane may have had about 20 people on board, including crew and “probably” 10 to 15 passengers, Ateny said, but added: “We need to confirm how many people were on board.”

In addition, he said an unknown number of people were killed on the ground as the Antonov crashed near where some fishermen were.

“We don't know the number of people that were killed on the ground,” he added.

A police officer at the scene said at least 41 people died, but the number could climb. A witness saw 41 bodies at the site.

Earlier, South Sudanese media had said the cargo plane carried five Russian crew and seven passengers. The South Sudan Tribune on Twitter also reported two survivors, one of them a child. The Civil Aviation Authority said the number of dead was still being counted. Officials said the plane belonged to freight and logistics firm Allied Services Ltd. The company could not immediately be reached for comment.

“We have rushed to the site of the crash which is located near the airport, south-east of Juba international airport across the river,” said the chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority at Juba, Stephen Warikozi.

“We have secured the site of the crash and also we are in the stage of recovering bodies and the black box. We are still now recovering the dead bodies and we cannot give you the exact number.”

The plane, registration EY406, had been on its way to Paloch, in the north of South Sudan, Warikozi said.

The presidential spokesman said the six crew were five Armenians and one Russian. All the others on the flight were South Sudanese. – Reuters