News / Africa
DRC announce three-day mourning for plane crash
09 Jul 2011 at 23:09hrs | Views
The Democratic Republic of Congo has announced on Saturday a three-day mourning for the Friday plane crash which has killed at least 72 people.
Government spokesperson Lambert Mende said on TV that a national mourning will be held in remembrance of the victims of the crash.
A Boeing 727 crashed at the airport of Kisangani in DR Congo on Friday, with chief of the airlines saying 72 people killed. M. Stavros, general director of the Hewa Bora Airways which operated the crashed aircraft, said that at least 72 people have died so far in the tragedy.
However, DR Congo's transport ministry was quoted in reports as saying the death toll reached 127, with 51 people surviving the tragedy. The ministry said number of people onboard had been underestimated.
The plane crashed into forests as the pilot tried to land amid stormy weather but didn't get onto the runway, according to the reports. The flight, operated by Hewa Bora Airways, was flying its regular route from Kinshasa to Kisangani and Goma.
Plane crashes in DR Congo are not uncommon. In April, a UN twin jet commuter type aircraft crashed while trying to land in the Kinshasa, killing 32 people.
Last year, another plane flown by the Belgian head of a local airline killed at least 20 passengers in its crash in western DR Congo.
Government spokesperson Lambert Mende said on TV that a national mourning will be held in remembrance of the victims of the crash.
A Boeing 727 crashed at the airport of Kisangani in DR Congo on Friday, with chief of the airlines saying 72 people killed. M. Stavros, general director of the Hewa Bora Airways which operated the crashed aircraft, said that at least 72 people have died so far in the tragedy.
However, DR Congo's transport ministry was quoted in reports as saying the death toll reached 127, with 51 people surviving the tragedy. The ministry said number of people onboard had been underestimated.
The plane crashed into forests as the pilot tried to land amid stormy weather but didn't get onto the runway, according to the reports. The flight, operated by Hewa Bora Airways, was flying its regular route from Kinshasa to Kisangani and Goma.
Plane crashes in DR Congo are not uncommon. In April, a UN twin jet commuter type aircraft crashed while trying to land in the Kinshasa, killing 32 people.
Last year, another plane flown by the Belgian head of a local airline killed at least 20 passengers in its crash in western DR Congo.
Source - Xinhua
