A small plane carrying oil workers crashed while taking off from an airport in South Sudan’s Unity State on Wednesday, killing 20 people, according to Reuters. The plane was heading to the capital, Juba, when it went down, the region’s information minister, Gatwech Bipal, told Reuters.
The workers on board were employed by the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), which includes China National Petroleum Corporation and Nile Petroleum Corporation, a state-owned company. Reuters reported that among the victims were two Chinese nationals and one Indian.
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir confirmed that engineers and technical staff were among those who lost their lives. He promised a quick and thorough investigation to find out what caused the crash, Reuters said.
Initially, media reports said 18 people had died, but Bipal later told Reuters that two survivors had also died, bringing the total to 20. However, Reuters confirmed that one person did survive the crash.
Reuters highlighted that South Sudan has experienced several plane crashes in recent years. In 2018, at least 19 people died when a small aircraft flying from Juba to Yirol crashed.
In 2015, a Russian-built cargo plane carrying passengers crashed after taking off from Juba airport, killing many people.
This latest crash raises concerns about aviation safety in the country, as reported by Reuters.