UN confirms 17 killed in crash

2008-09-03 16:05

Kinshasa - All 17 people aboard a humanitarian aid plane died when it crashed into a mountain in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN peacekeeping mission in the country confirmed on Wednesday.

None of the victims have been named, but the pilot of a plane was a South African man, a family member has confirmed.

The victims "gave their lives in the service of peace," said Sylvie Van Der Wildenberg, spokesperson for UN mission, known by its French acronym MONUC.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday expressed sadness over the crash in a statement released by his office.

The plane was carrying the 15 UN and private aid workers and two crew when it slammed into a mountain about 15km northwest of the city of Bukavu on Monday.

MONUC helicopters located the wreckage on Tuesday. Air Serv, the US-based company which chartered the Beechcraft 1900C plane, said in a statement on Tuesday that there were "no known survivors".

The company, which specialises in operations for humanitarian groups, said the plane was on a flight from Kinshasa to Mbandaka, Kisangani and Bukavu when it crashed into a steep ridge.

Indian and Pakistani peacekeepers had gone to the remote crash site along with DRC police and troops, Van Der Wildenberg told a news conference.

The circumstances of the accident are still unknown. The weather was reported to have been particularly bad in the South Kivu region on Monday.

- AFP