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Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) say at least 10 people have died after a military cargo aircraft crashed shortly after taking off from the capital Kinshasa.
Local news media reported that at least 10 people were on the plane bound for Bukavu in DRC’s east when it crashed in Nasilah, about 100 metres from the centre of Kinshasa, on Saturday morning.
Lambert Mende, a government spokesperson, confirmed the crash of the Antonov cargo plane after take-off from Kinshasa’s Ndjili International Airport based on reports from airport officials.
“The military cargo plane crashed around 7:30am (06:30 GMT), a few minutes after taking off from the airport,” Georges Tabora, director of the airport, said in a statement.
The aircraft experienced a technical problem shortly after take-off and lost radio contact with the control tower, Tabora said, adding that all 10 crew members aboard died in the incident.
There were no passengers travelling at the time of the crash, he said.
Source: News agencies
