KINSHASA – At least 14 people, including two senior military officials, were killed when a military aircraft crashed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the international media reported while citing local officials on Saturday.
The aircraft came down while returning to the capital, Kinshasa, from the city of Kikwit, the local authorities said. The incident has prompted an investigation to determine the precise circumstances and cause of the crash.
A spokesperson for the Congolese armed forces said the victims included the head of the military court and the Auditor General of the Armed Forces, two senior officials who were travelling as part of the delegation.
The remaining victims included 12 members of the delegation as well as members of the aircraft’s crew, according to the military spokesperson.
Initial information from local officials indicated that the aircraft may have developed a technical problem during its return journey. However, authorities have not yet established the exact nature of the suspected malfunction or confirmed it as the definitive cause of the crash.
An investigation has been launched to examine the aircraft’s condition, the circumstances surrounding the flight and other factors that may have contributed to the accident.
The crash comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to rely heavily on military aviation for the movement of senior officials and personnel across its vast territory, where road travel can be difficult and time-consuming.
Officials have not immediately provided further details about the type of aircraft involved, the precise location of the crash or whether there were any survivors.
The identities of all those killed have not been publicly released.
The authorities are expected to gather evidence from the crash site and examine relevant flight and maintenance records as part of the inquiry.
The military said further information would be made available as the investigation progresses.
Officials have also refrained from drawing definitive conclusions about the cause of the crash until the inquiry is completed, stressing that the initial reports of a technical failure remain subject to verification.
