Congo military plane crash kills 13, including three officers, official says
"With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot," Bokinda said.
Thirteen people, including three army officers, were killed on Friday when a military aircraft crashed in the Democratic Republic of Congo following a technical failure, a local official said.
The plane was en route to the capital, Kinshasa, from the southwestern city of Kikwit when it encountered mechanical problems and attempted an emergency landing in Kenge, Kwango province, said Kwango Vice Governor Remy Saki Bokinda.
"With no landing strip available in Kenge, the plane crashed into a residential plot," Bokinda said.
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The casualties included General Likulia Bakumi, the Congolese army's auditor general, alongside a major, a captain, and other military personnel and civilians, the vice governor added.
"All those on board died; 12 were burned beyond recognition, while the pilot's lifeless body was found outside the aircraft," Bokinda said.
Congo's aviation accident investigation authority has initiated a probe to determine the cause of the crash, according to an official government statement.
The accident comes as the Congolese military faces operational strains following setbacks against Rwanda-backed AFC/M23 rebels in the country's restive eastern provinces.
