A Kenyan national is among the victims of a fatal humanitarian aircraft crash reported in South Sudan on Tuesday, November 25.
According to the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority, the cargo plane on a mission to deliver food supplies to communities devastated by flooding went down with all three crew members on board. The team comprised a Kenyan, a Ukrainian pilot, and a South Sudanese engineer.
Authorities said the aircraft had departed from Juba earlier in the morning and was approaching its destination in Leer County, Unity State, when it developed complications during landing. The crash occurred at approximately 8:30am, with no survivors.
Local officials have already retrieved the bodies of the Ukrainian and South Sudanese crew members. Search operations continue to locate and recover the remains of the Kenyan victim.
Kueth Latjor, Executive Director and Acting Commissioner of Leer County, called the incident a tragic blow to an already struggling region, noting that the aircraft appeared to suffer mechanical failure moments before the crash.
