At least 13 killed as military plane crashes near homes in Kenge, DR Congo

At least 13 people have been killed after a military aircraft crashed near homes in Kenge, in the southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The plane was travelling towards the capital, Kinshasa, from Kikwit when it suffered a technical malfunction. The pilot attempted an emergency landing, but the aircraft came down in a residential plot and burst into flames.

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Officials said the aircraft was carrying military personnel and civilians, including senior officers. Remy Saki Bokinda, the province vice governor, said there was no landing strip available in Kenge, which contributed to the crash site being in a populated area. He said the victims included General Likulia Bakumi, the army's auditor general, as well as a major, a captain and other personnel.

The crash has prompted an investigation by the government aviation accident body. Officials said all 13 people on board died, with 12 burned beyond recognition and the pilot found outside the aircraft. Footage from the scene showed people rushing towards the burning wreckage as smoke rose from the hillside.

The scale of the loss is significant because it involved both military command figures and civilians on a flight linked to the armed forces. The incident also highlights the continuing risks of air travel in a country where long distances and poor road conditions make aviation an important transport link. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has recorded a high number of aviation accidents relative to its share of global air traffic.

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That broader pattern has made aircraft safety a recurring concern for authorities and passengers alike. Kenge is in Kwango province, in the southwest of the country, and the crash happened during an attempted diversion after the technical problem emerged. The aircraft was heading to Kinshasa, which is the country's main political and administrative centre.

The presence of senior military figures among the dead is likely to increase scrutiny of both the aircraft's condition and the response to the emergency. What remains unclear is the exact cause of the malfunction and whether any wider safety failures contributed to the crash. The investigation is expected to examine the aircraft, the emergency landing attempt and the circumstances at the site.

Further official details may also clarify the identities of all those killed and the full chain of events before impact.

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