Perilous Times
Plane crashes in Democratic Republic of Congo, 19 dead
* From: AFP
* August 26, 2010 1:28AM
TWO people have survived a plane crash the Democratic Republic of Congo
that has killed at least 19 people.
The plane from the capital Kinshasa crashed after being unable to land
at an airport in the city of Bandundu and apparently running out of
fuel.
"They have brought out the people, we have 19 bodies in the morgue and
two survivors," said the deputy governor of Bandundu province.
The pilot, co-pilot and stewardess were among the dead, he added.
The official said that after failing to land, the plane turned away and
came down hard towards the edge of the city.
"Subject to expert opinion ... the presumed cause could be a lack of
fuel," he said.
The Let-410 aircraft, a Czech-made short-range twin turboprop that
normally carries up to 19 passengers, was operated by private Congo
company Filair.
DRC's aviation sector, which is littered with ageing Soviet-era planes,
is generally viewed as being in a chronic state of disrepair and
crashes are frequent.
All of DRC's 50-odd registered airlines have been placed on a European
Union blacklist, banning them from flying into European airspace.