21 confirmed dead in DR Congo plane crashes

Source: Xinhua | 04-16-2008 15:27

KINSHASA, April 15 (Xinhua) -- At least 21 people have been confirmed dead and dozens more injured after a passenger plane crashed into a market in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday.

Local people watch the crashed plane on Tuesday near the border between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and Rwanda. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The DC-9 plane, belonging to privately-owned Hewa Bora airways, took off from the airport in the town of Goma and crashed shortly afterwards in the densely-populated Birere neighborhood nearby, an official from Goma airport told Xinhua. There were 94 people on board, he added.

The forward part of the plane looked roughly intact amid smoke and flames billowing at the crash site, where UN peacekeepers battled the fire. The wings were ripped off and the undercarriage and tail were damaged.

Local residents reported hearing a big explosion. One house was destroyed and several more were set aflame.

Some people on the ground are feared to have been killed. Rescuers have been unable to establish if any of those onboard the plane were among the dead or if all those killed were among those on the ground.

Dirk Cramers, marketing director of Hewa Bora, said the plane failed to reach take-off speed because of water on the runway after a heavy downpour. When the pilot tried to abort the take-off, the plane skidded through a wall into the market.

There are currently 50 airways operating in the DRC, most of their planes timeworn and lacking maintenance. In 2007 alone, the country witnessed eight plane mishaps.

The European Union (EU) has banned all airlines based in the DRC from EU air space because of "general lack of effective control by the civil aviation authorities there to monitor and maintain minimum technical standards" for airplanes.