DRC Army Plane Crash in Kenge Kills 17, Including Two Generals

At least 17 people have died after a Congolese army plane crashed into a residential plot in Kenge, Kwango province, authorities said.

The aircraft was travelling from Kikwit to Kinshasa when it developed a technical fault and attempted to land in Kenge. The plane crashed and caught fire after hitting the ground.

Remy Saki Bokinda, deputy governor of Kwango, said Kenge had no landing strip available. He said the initial death toll of 13 was later revised after the fire was brought under control and authorities found 16 adult bodies and the body of a baby.

Two generals among those killed

The Congolese army said two generals travelling on an official mission were among the victims: Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo and Lieutenant General Lucien-Rene Likulia.

Mutombo was identified as the first president of the High Military Court, while Likulia was the military’s auditor general.

The source information does not identify all those who were aboard the aircraft or state the plane’s model.

Investigation ordered

President Felix Tshisekedi has instructed competent authorities to investigate the exact circumstances and causes of the crash, according to the president’s office.

The president’s office also said Tshisekedi expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and loved ones, as well as to security forces.

The crash occurred in southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a vast country that has faced decades of conflict, particularly along its eastern border with Rwanda. The circumstances surrounding the aviation accident had not yet been established.