DR Congo aircraft crash kills 17, including two generals

At least 17 people were killed in an aircraft crash in Kenge, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Kwango province, with two generals among the dead, local authorities and media reported.

The bodies of all 17 victims were transported to Kinshasa on Saturday, Actualite.cd reported. The death toll comprises 13 military personnel and four civilians, including a child.

The two generals were identified by the Defence Ministry as the president of the High Military Court and the auditor general of the armed forces.

The aircraft crashed in Kenge on Friday while travelling between Kikwit and Kinshasa, according to provincial authorities. Earlier reports said those on board had apparently been trying to find a place to land after a problem developed during the flight.

Investigators have been sent to the crash site, which has been secured while evidence is preserved and the victims identified. Authorities said the flight recorder had not yet been recovered, and the cause of the crash remained under investigation.

By Tamilla Hasanova