By Ebi Kesiena
Five people were killed on Tuesday when a cargo plane carrying fuel for the UN’s World Food Programme crashed near South Sudan’s capital Juba, airport officials said.
The aircraft a Soviet-era Antonov An-26 transport plane — crashed shortly after taking off from Juba’s international airport, killing everyone onboard.
According to David Subek, head of the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority persons killed include one from South Sudan, two are Sudanese and two are Ukrainians.
AFP reports that the cargo plane belonging to a local operator was reportedly carrying 28 barrels of fuel for the WFP to Maban, a district housing more than 100,000 refugees.
According to the airport’s director general Kur Kuol, it hit a mango tree and caught fire.
“The people on board were burnt. They are in bad shape,” said Kuol.
South Sudan Red Cross said emergency workers had collected five bodies that were “burned beyond recognition”.
