The death toll from a plane that crashed into a densely populated neighbourhood in Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday morning has risen to at least 24, a provincial lawmaker and rescue worker have said.
Reuters reports that Jean Paul Lumbulumbu, the vice president of North Kivu’s parliament, said 24 bodies had been recovered from the rubble.
A rescue worker, who asked not to be named, said 26 bodies had been found.
The plane headed to Beni, about 250 kilometers away, crashed shortly after takeoff according to North Kivu Governor Carly Nzanzu Kasivita.
Initial reports indicate that the plane crashed into houses in the Mapendo neighbourhood after missing its take-off from the city’s international airport.
The aircraft was operated Busy Bee, a private carrier in the DRC.
The 19-seater Dornier 228-200 crashed with 16 passengers and two crew on board.
Air accidents are relatively frequent in Congo because of lax safety standards and poor maintenance. All Congolese commercial carriers, including Busy Bee, are banned from operating in the European Union.
Reuters reports that a witness at the scene of the crash said two people were rescued before the plane exploded. It was unclear how many others on the ground may have been killed or injured.
Breaking – moment plane crashes into a crowded neighborhood of Goma in #congodrc , local media reporting at least 23 dead. Airline , busybee, was flying 17 passengers to Butembo. I had looked at the option of booking this flight. Many stuck in Beni and Butembo due to protests pic.twitter.com/kqmTHnBgQM
— Monica Villamizar (@monica_vv) November 24, 2019
All Congolese commercial carriers, including Busy Bee, are banned from operating in the European Union.
A cargo plane departing from the same airport crashed an hour after take-off in October, killing all eight passengers.
