Passenger plane crashes and catches fire in the Congo; everyone on board perishes.
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On the afternoon of September 25 (local time), a Let L-410 turboprop aircraft operated by the Congolese airline TRACEP crashed in Kenge, the capital of Kwango Province in the country's southwest, resulting in the deaths of everyone on board.
The aircraft involved, registered as 9S-GUC, was operating a domestic flight from Kikwit to Ndolo Airport in the capital, Kinshasa. During the flight, the aircraft experienced a technical malfunction, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing near Kenge.
According to Remy Saki Bokinda, the Deputy Governor of Kwango Province, the aircraft circled over Kenge looking for a landing site; however, because the area of the old local airfield had been occupied by residential housing, it ultimately crashed onto a residential plot.
The aircraft caught fire upon impact; video footage from the scene shows it completely engulfed in flames. Authorities reported no casualties among people on the ground.
International media, citing official sources, reported that there were 13 people on board, all of whom perished. Local media reports indicated a total of 16 people on board, including four crew members.
Deputy Governor Bokinda stated that the victims included the Auditor General of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as other military personnel, civilian staff, and civilians.
Bokinda stated that everyone on board died; 12 of the victims were burned beyond recognition, while the pilot's body was found outside the aircraft.
The DRC's aviation accident investigation agency has formally launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
This marks the second accident involving a TRACEP L-410 aircraft in two months. On July 24, a TRACEP L-410 aircraft went missing while flying from Beni to Kasongo. The aircraft was subsequently found crashed in the forest of the Walikale territory in North Kivu province, eastern Congo; the accident resulted in the death of one pilot, while the other survived.