A cargo plane bound for Upper Nile State crashed on October 4, 2015 near Juba Airport.
There is general consternation and confusion in South Sudan as the country mourns dozens of people who died when a cargo plane crashed on take-off near the international airport in the country’s capital Juba yesterday, October 4, 2015.
BBC reported that at least 25 people died in the plane crash, stating that some reports put the death toll as high as 40 people. Reuters cited a witness who reportedly saw 41 bodies, some of which were covered by cloth. A police officer, who did not give his name because he was not authorized to speak to the media, also put the death toll at 41. Reports further state that it was unclear how many of the victims were on the plane and how many were on the ground. The Antonov An-12 plane was heading to Paloch in Upper Nile State and crashed just 800m from the runway, BBC reported. The Antonov State Company is a Ukrainian aircraft manufacturing company.
President Salva Kiir’s spokesman, Ateny Wek Ateny citing official documents, is reported as telling news agencies that the plane was carrying 18 people, including the six foreign crew. He said 15 of the people died and three South Sudanese nationals survived, including a child. "This is the number given to us by the (control) tower," Reuters quoted Ateny Wek Ateny as saying specifying that the number only concerned people on board. Officials said the plane belonged to freight and logistics firm Allied Services Ltd. Reports said the officials at the company could not immediately be reached for comment.
“We have rushed to the site of crash which is located near the airport, southeast of Juba International Airport (across) the river," Reuters quoted, Stephen Warikozi, the chief executive of the Civil Aviation Authority at Juba airport as saying. He added that, "We have secured the site of crash and also we are in the stage of recovering bodies and black box. We are still now recovering the dead bodies and we cannot give you the exact number."
The presidential spokesman is reported as saying that six crew were comprised of five Armenians and one Russian.
