Congo army plane crashes in Kenge, killing 17 people

A Congolese army aircraft crashed in Kenge, in Kwango province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least 17 people, including senior military officials. The plane was travelling from Kikwit to the capital Kinshasa when it developed a technical fault and attempted to land in Kenge. Kwango deputy governor Remy Saki Bokinda confirmed the toll after authorities recovered the bodies.hindustantimes.com

The crash matters because it killed two of the country's most senior military justice officials and prompted President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo to order a thorough investigation into the exact circumstances and causes. The accident also exposed the absence of a landing strip in Kenge, which forced the crew to attempt a landing that ended in a residential plot.jpost.com

How the flight ended in Kenge

The aircraft developed a technical fault during the flight from Kikwit to Kinshasa and tried to land in Kenge, according to Remy Saki Bokinda, the Kwango vice governor. With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot, Bokinda said. The aircraft caught fire after hitting the ground, according to Kwango Deputy Governor Remy Saki Bokinda.

The death toll rose as crews worked at the wreckage. Bokinda told reporters the figure climbed from an initial 13 to 17 after authorities recovered 16 adult bodies and the body of a baby once the fire was brought under control. He also said all those on board died: 12 were burned beyond recognition, while the pilot's lifeless body was found outside the aircraft.

Two lieutenant generals were among the dead, the Congolese army said. They were Lieutenant General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende Joseph, first president of the High Military Court, and Lieutenant General Likulia Bakumi Lucien René, auditor general of the FARDC, the armed forces. The presidency's official account on X also listed both names among the victims of the delegation and crew.

Who died in the crash

Other passengers included General Likulia Bakumi, the army's auditor general, as well as a major, a captain and other military personnel and civilians, Bokinda said. Initial reports said 13 people were killed, including three military officers, before the toll was revised upward to 17. The transport ministry announced that 17 people died, including two senior military justice officials.

President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo expressed grief over the crash and ordered the competent services to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the exact circumstances and causes of the accident. In a post on X, the official account of the Presidency said the president learned with profound sorrow of the crash and extended condolences to the families of the victims.

Congo's aviation accident investigation authority is launching a probe of the crash, a government statement said. Investigators will examine why the aircraft developed a technical fault, why no landing strip was available in Kenge, and why the plane attempted to land in a residential plot instead of diverting elsewhere along the route from Kikwit to Kinshasa.

What investigators will examine

The investigation ordered by President Tshisekedi Tshilombo will determine the exact circumstances and causes of the accident, the presidency said. Congo's aviation accident investigation authority has begun its own probe, according to a government statement. The findings will establish whether the technical fault, the missing landing strip, or other factors caused the crash that killed 17 people.