Six feared dead in Congo plane crash
Six people were feared dead after an aircraft en route to neighbouring Uganda crashed in rebel-held northeastern Congo in bad weather, rebel officials and the aircraft’s owners said today.
Congolese rebels were searching for remains of the six passengers and crew as well as for the wreckage of the LET 410 aircraft owned by Uganda’s Eagle Company that crashed on Friday morning, said Gerald Mamba, aide to the head of the Uganda-backed rebel Congolese Rally for Democracy-Liberation Movement.
The flight took off from the northeastern town of Bunia in bad weather but failed to reach Beni where it was scheduled to land before proceeding to Entebbe, Uganda, officials of the air charter company said.
‘‘We believe it has crashed in the mountainous area no more than six miles from the border with Uganda,’’ said an official.
‘‘Bad weather together with the terrain could be a factor in the accident.’’
Congolese rebels have sent people to investigate the report that the plane went down in Geti, some 28 miles south of Bunia in Ituri province, Mamba said.
‘‘We are still waiting for feedback from investigators,’’ he said.
The rebel head of education, deputy foreign affairs chief and other officials were aboard the plane he said.
