Soviet-era plane catches fire during emergency landing in DR Congo

A cargo plane operated by the Congolese carrier Air Kasai caught fire while attempting an emergency landing at Kongolo airfield. 

The plane had departed from Goma in the North Kivu Province, Caliber.Az reports citing local media outlets. 

All five people on board the Soviet-era Antonov An-26 plane, that was carrying a cargo of cigarettes, managed to escape the aircraft unharmed.

According to Congolese media, the crew reported a malfunction when approximately 30 km away from the airfield. "During the emergency landing attempt, the plane crashed into bushes, and the right propeller caught fire," a witness at the scene explained.

Residents near the airfield assisted in extinguishing the flames by throwing sand on the fire, the report added.

By Nazrin Sadigova