At least 14 people, including two senior military officials, were killed after a plane crashed in Congo while returning to the capital Kinshasa from the southwestern city of Kikwit, the military said Friday.
The aircraft came down in Kenge after reportedly developing a technical fault during the journey. Everyone on board was killed in the crash, the Associated Press reported, citing local officials.
Among those who died were Lieutenant General Mutombo Katalayi Tiende, head of the military court, and Lieutenant General Bakumi Likulia, auditor general of the armed forces.
Major General Efomi Ekenge, spokesperson for the Congolese military, confirmed the deaths in a statement.
“In addition to the two general officers, twelve members of the delegation and the crew members also lost their lives in this accident,” AP quoted Ekenge as saying.
Probe Launched Into Crash
According to the AP report, authorities have launched an investigation to establish what caused the aircraft to crash.
Ekenge said the probe would look into the circumstances surrounding the accident, while Tryphon Kin-Kiey Mulumba, Chairman of the Board of the Civil Aviation Authority, said the cause of the crash remained unknown.
The aircraft was travelling from Kikwit towards Kinshasa when the incident occurred in Kenge, local officials said.
Congo Battling Rebel Groups
The crash comes as the Congolese military continues operations against several rebel groups in the country’s eastern region.
The military has been fighting scores of armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, since last year.
The M23 has carried out a series of attacks that resulted in the capture of key cities in the eastern part of the country.
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