A plane carrying 21 people crashed in South Sudan on Wednesday, killing 18, including the pilot and co-pilot, according to South Sudan Eagles Media.
Three others sustained critical injuries.
The aircraft, operated by Light Air Services, was transporting engineers from the Unity oilfield to Juba when it crashed shortly after takeoff.
Eyewitnesses reported that the crash occurred approximately 10 minutes after departure when one of the plane’s wings broke off mid-flight.
Among the victims were 16 South Sudanese, two Chinese nationals, and one Indian, according to Eye Radio.
Local sources confirmed that emergency responders arrived at the crash site to evacuate the injured and recover bodies.
Authorities have yet to determine the exact cause of the crash, but aviation experts suspect structural failure.
Investigations are underway to assess whether maintenance issues or adverse weather conditions contributed to the accident.
The South Sudanese government has expressed condolences to the victims’ families, while officials from Light Air Services have pledged full cooperation with the ongoing probe.
